By Zsuzsana Summer
All You Need is Love
- so love YOU!
| By Zsuzsana Summer |
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| © Arcana New Age Centre. All rights reserved. Reprint information below. | |
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”- Lucille Ball
Self-love is the basis of wholeness and the center of existence. It is a starting point for all of our relationships and a healthy self-love is the basis for all our successes and joys in our lives.
Self-love is not egotism or narcissism. Loving yourself unconditionally does NOT mean that you have to love everything you've ever done. But it does mean forgiving yourself for past mistakes and knowing that if you apply your new knowledge, you are always walking on a spiral path towards ascension and knowing ultimate truth and bliss.
Egotism and ego-based thoughts and actions are perfectly natural defense mechanisms which are in place to protect us as individuals, but they cannot be our driving forces as spiritual beings. A real egotist likely has little or no self love and searches for approval and acknowledgement from outside sources. Ego tells us we are separate from others, and constantly wants us to take, and hoard all that life has to offer as a protection and survival mechanism. But ego is blind to the fact that we are all one, and there is always 'enough' and it is there in abundance for all to share.
You don't need to be boastful and brash to be an egotist! There are those who speak softly and retire into corners of shyness and seclusion for the same reasons as the extroverted egotist - not realizing that every human being is on the same soul level in their connection to spirit, and just expressing or realizing it differently! It took me many many years on my path to realize how VERY much the same we are! And our innate one-ness. I was shy and quiet growing up - always an outsider in school due to being a child of new immigrants and our constant, sometimes twice yearly relocations and moves as my parents found their place in a new country. I always felt myself different, and although it hurt me deeply to be excluded, on some level I must have picked up the notion that I truly was very different, and my separateness was something that others would never understand. As I explored my spirituality, however, so many little moments of recognition sparked in my soul, and today I still remember the moments of wonder and amazement I have experienced as I realized that I am part of the One just as everyone else is. And I love myself as I love all of life - that is the only way to understanding.
“I don't regret anything. Everything happens for a reason--it's part of the healing process. Life is a healing process.” - Richard Gere
A long time and cherished affirmation of mine is 'no regrets'. Regrets and worries about the past create huge blockages in our soul flow! This is not to say that we ignore our past mistakes. Instead, if we recognize them for having been the best things we could do with our abilities at that time, and realize that we are forever developing and growing in our life skills, we can put mistakes and into the 'life lessons' folder and look to future opportunities to apply our new skills, knowledge and understanding. Our spiritual growth and life itself is a spiral of blessings, challenges and transmutating opportunities to 'handle it better' the next time around. Even when we feel we are going in circles or revisiting past conditions, we are in fact, being given new opportunities to act with love and compassion and understanding.
Like most skills in life, the skill of loving yourself improves with exercise and repetition. And although it is one of the most important skills to maintain, it is often relegated to the bottom of our to-do lists.
Oh, no, you may say. I DO love myself! I express my true thoughts; I recognize and honor my boundaries. I treat myself to something special as often as I can (I just had a manicure, I just bought that book I wanted, I just had a night-out with my friends....) and I care for my body, my appearance, my career, my personal goals, and so forth.
Well - that's wonderful! Congratulations. You have reached a wonderful level of awareness and personal growth. But maybe we can take this further by asking- which Self are you loving? Are you truly integrating love into all of your being? Can there be more?
People ask, 'how does one learn to nurture and to love oneself?' This is one of the most important lessons many of us to learn in this lifetime.
Nurturing yourself can be as simple as realizing that you deserve - peace, love, happiness, and abundance - everything that the universe could possibly offer. You are a child of the universe, just like each and everyone on this planet. The spark of the Divine is within each cell of your being.
Remind yourself of this often. Take a few minutes each day to just be. Don't feel guilty about it. You must replenish your own spirit if you want to give of yourself!
And - who is your Self?
Here is a simple exercise you can do. Picture your self in three distinct parts - your body, you mind and your soul. As you become each of these parts in turn, and as each part, tell the other parts of me how much you love them.
In your Mind, say: Body, I love you. Soul, I love you. As you say this, try to feel the warmth of that love traveling to those parts. It may sound a little silly - but this exercise will help.
As Body, say Mind, I love you. Soul, I love you.
And as Soul, say: Mind, I love you. Body, I love you.
You can finish the exercise by wrapping yourself in an imaginary cloud or warm blanket. Find your center, and hold the word Love in your mind. And say, I am.
We are blessed in that we are able to shape and reshape our being. By taking stock regularly of our condition and our desires, we can keep that well in peak condition to draw the most beautiful and nurturing powers from the source, to maintain it within, and to offer it to others.
"It is as hard to see one's self as to look backwards without turning around."-Thoreau
Hi, who are you?
When someone asks us who we are, we have any number of answers, depending on the context of the question or who’s asking it. For example, I would reply with: I am Zsuzsana. I’m a columnist, I’m a psychic, I am a wife, (mother/daughter /teacher /nurse /busdriver/customer/woman/man/friend/boss… ). We can define ourselves by a myriad of roles, titles and perspectives.
But most of these answers only define us in relation to others. A definition for each and every relationship we have on earth. But, who are we really?
Well, they say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so we should be able to see our Selves by looking in a mirror, right? What do you see when you look in a mirror?
I see myself first thing every morning when I come down the main stairs in my house, as I have large sliding mirror doors in my front hall. I catch my reflection full-length, on my way to put the coffee on (and my pre-coffee image can be a pretty scary sight!)
Other than passing by this mirror several times a day, when I usually run my fingers through my hair to straighten it out, maybe straighten my clothes a little if necessary, or straighten my posture, I don’t spend much time looking in the mirror at all. When I do happen to catch a glance, I am often surprised that the image I see is not even the one I expect. In my mind’s eye, I am timeless, ageless, always serene and attractive. The mirror sometimes reflects back much less flattering angles, and can be harsh in its truthful glare.
But mirrors can be true friends. Here’s a revealing little exercise you may want to try to expand your awareness of self.
Meeting in the Mirror Exercise
Stand quietly in front of a mirror. Imagine that you are a stranger meeting yourself for the first time. Look into the mirror and say hello. What is this stranger like? What type of life has she had? What experiences have left a mark on her? Is she happy, sad, kind, wise, outgoing, confident, shy? What are her likes and dislikes? WHO is she?
Let’s go beyond the looks. What lies beyond the physical features of the person looking back at you? What do you read in the eyes? What about looking deeper, past the eyes and into the soul? How do you connect?
When you are doing this exercise your gaze will naturally go out of focus - you can let it continue to blur and flow, or, you can focus on just one eye at a time and see if you can look through to see the self.
When you feel you are ready, say good-bye to this person and thank them for allowing you to ‘meet’ them.
Bring your awareness back gradually and become your self once again.
Then, smile at yourself. How does that feel? Say I love you. Say it again and really mean it. This will probably create some strong emotion in you. At first it may even be embarrassing and may cause you to giggle. Or maybe to cry! Let the emotions you experience flow to the surface and be one with the experience.
You may wish to make some notes in your journal about how this exercise feels and what emotions you experience, particularly when you say the words ‘I love you’.
A Mirror Technique for Self-Awareness and Manifesting The Best You
Play with this simple technique, which can be cathartic and revealing, as well as empowering.
Stand in front of a mirror and gaze softly into it. You don’t need to gaze too hard as your vision will blur. Greet yourself with love. Tell yourself about you. Use phrases such as, I am…. I have…. I like…. and so on. Describe you to yourself in as much detail as you can, until you have exhausted all your thoughts. For the purpose of this exercise, it is better to focus on your positive qualities; this is not a time for berating yourself or testing emotional wounds.
Keep your observations as detached as possible and look for the good, saving anything you consider ‘the bad and the ugly’ for another time. Use adjectives, as many as you like. I am loving, I am fun, I am cute, I have a nice smile, a good figure, lots of friends. As you say these phrases allow them to float out into a big iridescent bubble around and above you. You will see this bubble fill up with all the descriptions of you that you can think of. Keep going until the bubble is full and you can’t think of a single thing more to say, then blow softly and let the bubble float out into the universe. Take three deep cleansing breaths. Just be for a moment.
Now - all the adjectives and descriptions and likes and dislikes and definitions and labels are gone. Who are you now? Do you feel any different? Have you released anything that you really miss or that you feel relief from letting go of? Is your persona floating about in the universe right now? Who is left looking into the mirror? Are you more in touch with your inner self?
When you have allowed yourself to connect with your inner self, it’s time for some affirmations, if you wish. Make sure these are all positive statements, and always use the present tense. You can start with statements that you know to be true. I am kind. I am loving. I am intelligent. Then make some affirmations of your desired goals. I am a good public speaker. I live in perfect harmony within my relationships. I live in glowing, vibrant good health. Choose what it is that you wish to manifest.
By looking into your own eyes throughout this exercise, you are doubling the effectiveness of your affirmations - not only are you hearing the energies that your words are sending out to the universe, but you are making a direct connection with your inner self, or your soul, and your words are being imprinted as you speak them. Close this exercise with a warm loving smile and by saying I Love You.
A Message From the Angels:
Search knowingly for the wisdom that is deep within. Find that quiet space within yourself that is the spark of the divine. This spark is your very essence and wonderful strength and revelations will come from this source. Trust in your soul connection with the divine and you will know yourself. The spark is there in each and every one of us and it is real. And if you love God (the Creator, the Source, Great Spirit, Universal Consciousness, the One, or whatever name you would like to use) then you must love yourself because this Spirit is within you.
James Van Praagh, in his book ‘Talking to Heaven’, similarly calls this the ‘God spark’. He says that all of us, even those beings who appear evil and bad are made from this same God spark, except that those beings are the furthest away from what God is. He says ‘God is perfection in everything. Each one of us is perfect if only we would seek our divinity. God is our essence. God is life itself.’
So, next time you want to connect with your self and find your essence, grab a mirror and look for that spark. You may have to peel away a few layers first, but it is there, you will see, and once you have seen the spark, remember the universal connection in love and allow it to fill every cell of your being. Love your self so you can love others. Then you will attract and allow the love that is the very meaning of life.
“We carry with us the wonders we seek without us.”- Sir Thomas Browne
Most of us are aware of synchronicity, of spirit urgings and unconditional love for all our fellow beings in the universe. We are sometimes walking a road that seems virtually unexplored and unrevealed - but we are spiritual pioneers as we recover ancient spiritual knowledge and apply it to life in the new millennium.
I love myself as I love life. We are One, and loved equally by the Creator. I am a channel for love as much as I am a channel for life's blessings and unlimited abundance.
“God will regenerate those in whose hearts there is Love “ -Sikh saying
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This article is excerpted from Zsuzsana's new book, The
Now Age. © 2003 All rights reserved. Zsuzsana is a renowned professional
psychic, syndicated columnist and New Age authour. Visit Zsuzsana at www.arcanamatrix.com
for
everything from Angels to Zen and lots of metaphysical goodies in between, as
well as further info on The Now Age.
| You have permission to reprint or republish this article in its entirety providing all links, credits and bylines and resource box remain intact. No other use of this material is allowed unless agreed to in writing. Contact me at: zsuzsana@arcanamatrix.com. |