An Important Valentine

"Its not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love." 

~ Voltaire

So true, so true. 

We spend our entire lives with one person - ourselves and so why is it ingrained in us that loving ourself is not only selfish but also arrogant?  

Society casts men and women in quite different roles.  There are some exceptions but typically at an early age men are given military toys to play with and are nurtured to become leaders and to aggressively pursue their passions. Us women, on the other hand, are given Barbi's, tea sets and taught to clean and keep house. We women are cultivated to be  'care givers' and subsequently we learn that our aspirations are secondary to that of a man.

What ever your childhood experience, if a love of one self is not cultivated self-hatred is inevitable.

"I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves 
through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do." 
~ Brené Brown

SELF-LOVE

When I began my spiritual journey one of the first lessons I learned was: without self-love all relationships in life will be compromised. This concept sparked an insatiable curiosity in me. I soon found myself spending hours at the Bodhi Tree bookstore buying every self-help book ever published (well, maybe not "every" book, but suffice to say my home library is bursting at the seams.) 

Remaining fully present and engaged in my spiritual development is my life's journey - there is no finish line.  I see this work as the equivalent to going to the gym except that I am working out intangible muscles.  

THE SOULS CORE

If you workout you know that without a strong core nothing is possible. Well, the same goes for this ethereal work-out, it strengthens what I like to call the "souls core." As your self-awareness grows the more you will discover about yourself and the more empowered you will become.  You will be able to express yourself more freely, and because of this you allow others to see you for who you really are. Its this freedom of self expression, this empowerment that creates a healthy space for self-acceptance and self-love to flourish. 

I'm not saying I have this mastered, quite the contrary, I still struggle with the concept of self-love. At times I am all too quick to shirk off compliments and will deflect praise before I've assimilated it. In fact, there are times that, when receiving approval or accolades I actually become flushed; its as if I am having an allergic reaction to it. 

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

SOUL WORK

Valentine's Day is tomorrow, whether you are married, in a relationship or single I invite you to be your own Valentine. Go ahead and write yourself a love letter, dot your i's with hearts and give yourself a big o' hug!