Fiona Reilly – The only place we can find true and enduring love is within ourselves. Often it can be easier to love others than to love ourselves. The love that you give to others, can you find it for yourself? Are you able to accept yourself as the wonderful, loving being that you are? How can we truly love another if we don’t love ourselves? Sometimes we can be unkind and critical of ourselves, however it is the times when we are gentle, compassionate and loving that we find the most joy and fulfillment in life. Let’s love ourselves more and increase the joy in the world.
When we find the love within ourselves it naturally flows out from us to others and into the world around us. Do you recognize that feeling of joy and lightness when you fall in love? The world seems brighter and you feel more alive! However falling in love isn’t really about the other person, it’s about what they evoke within us. The love, joy and feelings we experience belong to us, though they are brought to the fore by our reflection in the other person or through a beautiful landscape or with appreciating the miracles of life.
“If you listen closely, you will discover that romantic love it isn’t where you discover true and lasting love. The kind of love you truly long for is found inside of you as you discover how to meet yourself in our own heart.” – Mary O Malley
So how might we gratify our heart’s longing for love and acceptance, for each of us the answers will be different. Can we free ourselves to fall in love with our own beautiful selves? Can we be gentle, loving and accepting of who we are (warts ‘n all)? What aspects of living might help to evoke these feelings of joy and lightness from within? For me, it’s being in nature, sitting quietly to meditate, intimacy with a partner, connecting with close friends, watching a baby and so much more… Every moment offers us the opportunity to open up to love.
From a young age we frequently create stories about how we are not good enough or unlovable. Hollywood and society in general has conditioned us to look for love outside of ourselves in a romantic partner that sweeps us off our feet! And we take on the burden of making ourselves perfect to gain this love. Yet we can never be perfect in that sense, we all have imperfections to help us learn and grow. It’s liberating to accept ourselves in our imperfections. Finding the love within helps us to heal ourselves, our relationships and our world.
“When you are able to love yourself deeply, you can be kind to others.” – Debasish Mridha
I often receive synchronicities and messages from the Universe and yesterday I came across a ladybird at an auspicious location. One of the messages of ladybird medicine which felt apt is that “As fear cannot exist amongst joy, the ladybug brings a message of promise, for they get us back in touch with the joy of living – we must let go of our fears and go back to our roots, to love.” (www.shamanicjourney.com)
Letting go of our fears is a life long journey, though with courage, gentleness and compassion we can find our way back to love.
How can you be more loving, kind and gentle with yourself today? How would it be to love and accept yourself exactly as you are, warts ‘n all?
I leave you with a an old classic from three love legends – “‘Cause when it’s all for one it’s one for all”
With love from my heart to yours, may you find your love within,
Fiona
SF Source Wake Up World May 2019