Learning
Love is made up of three unconditional properties in equal Measure:
1. Acceptance
2. Understanding
3. Appreciation
Remove any one of the three and the triangle falls apart.
Which, by the way, is something highly inadvisable. Think about it — do you really want to live in a world of only two dimensions?
So, for the love of a triangle, please keep love whole.
As far as we know, human beings are the only life forms on the planet with conscious awareness – the ability to know that we know and to be aware that we are aware. We’re able to perceive both our inner and outer environments and we can make conscious choices about where we direct one of our most valuable gifts: our attention.
As many great wisdom traditions teach, whatever we put our attention on expands in our experience. We can focus on grievances, shortcomings, and pain, and those qualities will grow in importance to us. Or we can instead choose to shift our attention to beauty, love, and laughter, and we will perceive their expansion in our life.
We may have been taught that giving love is important and loving ourselves is selfish. But self-compassion – truly loving ourselves for who we authentically are, both the light and the dark – is actually the surest way of cultivating and communicating the love within us with others.
Life can be challenging, and most of us have a tendency to judge ourselves when we make mistakes or suffer setbacks. Offering yourself positive regard and love as you look into your eyes will naturally begin to soften the ego’s criticism. Try extending your compassion to the ego, recognizing that it is like a fearful child who only resorts to bullying and control out of a desperate need to feel safe and secure.
Once you begin to honor the divinity within, everyone around you will also begin to look different. You will find it easier to realize your intentions because when you orient yourself in the field of love, constrictions naturally dissolve.
None of us knows how long our existence on this planet will last, and we don’t want to wait. We have the ability to experience our spiritual loving essence in a way that promotes compassion, empathy, and self-awareness.
Love is the key ingredient to healing. When we feel love, we are connecting to the True Self, and the True Self is perfect, without flaw. Consequently, the more we can see and appreciate the perfection of spirit in our lives and in those of everyone around us, the more we will feel healed and deeply loved.
Self-love is the most important love we can invite into our lives. If we care for and love ourselves, then we are able to share love with others.
Learning from Tape Measure: Self-Love
