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Exploring Love
By EdB

***Love writes a transparent calligraphy,
so on the empty page my soul can read and recollect.***
–Rumi–

When it comes to love, the greatest of lessons I gleaned from my mother is that of self love; which at nearly 50, I am still grappling with. Over the years I have learned that the degree to which you love yourself determines the degree to which you are able to extend love to others.

Learning to love your self is not easy to achieve; genuine self love is elusive, hard to grasp. It also needs maintenance which means

constant re-charge, replenish, re-energize. One of the most important ways to love your self is to nourish and care for your body, by eating healthy and keeping in shape. Another way to enhance self love is by scrutinizing the way you talk to your self. Often times we have a tendency to beat ourselves up with our cacophonous inner critic. We need to learn to be kind to ourselves. This can be done by being aware and (re) adjusting/tweaking our ways.

You'll find, the more you love your self the more you are able to love others and the more others will want to be around you. When we love ourselves, we radiate positive energy and we become conduits for others to tap into. Your relationship with SELF is a pre-requisite to creating a successful and authentic union with another; it is the primary template from which all others are formed.

All the great wisdom traditions speak of the unlimited power we have within. Quantum physics and psychology both offer proof that our thoughts create our reality. Now is the time to move decisively toward nurturing and balancing your innate capacity for self love. Choose to believe that your life is precious, and decide to nurture and protect your 'self ' , and your environment. Self love is the first step toward this goal, it is the portal.

A new age has dawned in human consciousness. We now have knowledge and the tools to access healing energies. We can start making a difference now.

"The fact dysfunction exists in our romantic, family and human relationships is a symptom of the dysfunction that exists in our relationship with life; with being human. It is a symptom of the dysfunction which exists in our relationship with ourselves as human beings."

- Robert Burney -

To make a difference, we can start by developing a loving ongoing relationship with self. Remind your self that love is the greatest source of health & healing and growth. LOVE is inherent in ALL human cultures.
ROMANTIC LOVE
Studies have shown our natural mammalian drive; mental scans of those in love show a striking resemblance to those with mental illness. Love creates activity in the brain that hunger, thirst and drug cravings create activity in. Consider this.

"For one human being to love another that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation."

- Rainier Maria Rilke -

Loving another human being takes a lot of self love and a lot of courage. We try to achieve an emotional connection with another human being. Often times we love, simply to be loved. Yet, we can find a way to love our selves enough that we give love without expectation. Here we find empathy, communication and a real & raw exchange of pure and honest feelings.

We have been so severely indoctrinated into the romantic myth that we have no awareness of the process of emotional programming that created our romantic programming. Books, magazines and T.V. have trained our feelings into a delusion of romance. We all know that the divorce rate is out of control these days and how much 'depression' has become the norm. We lack a certain intellectual honesty. If we can abandon our cultural delusions and establish reality based relationships, we will get to know each other in pure form.

"No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they misunderstood others."

- Goethe -

Communication is the principal building block of any relationship. This is not only expressing yourself properly and honestly, it also involves listening and responding properly and truthfully. A strong sense of self invites opportunity to reach the heart of any situation. Any person who lives with faith in themselves, who moves with self assurance and conviction, will tell you that it is not a matter of what happens to you in life, but how you handle the situation. How you think about it will determine what you do about it which will in turn build or kill your confidence.

There are many common experiences in life that erode self confidence. But there are just as many experiences that can boost our sense of self. Self love is a pure & sure path to finding sturdy ground in this area. We can create self love by honoring our selves, who we really are, and honoring the process of our evolution; recognizing constant change and evolving into a powerful and loving human being. By recognizing that our feelings are our personal signals; honoring them and responding to their highest truth. By realizing that we are powerful and totally capable of creating joy and success......

***There is more hunger for love & appreciation in this world than for bread."***
- Mother Theresa -