"If we go down into ourselves we find that we possess exactly what we desire."
- Simone Weil
For genuine love to flourish we must finally accept ourselves exactly as we are today. Acceptance is acknowledging the reality of the situation:
We are heavier than we want to be, our faces are freckled with spots, we have new, warty things on our very white and speckled legs... our legs and arms are strong from exercise, the turkey wattle under our necks is less pronounced than it used to be because of our exercise, we weigh 30lbs less than 2 years ago. We have beautiful blue eyes, our hair is well cut and healthy, we have a beautiful smile and pretty white teeth.
"We have days when we feel dark and stormy, when we feel very small, very fragile, and very frightened...When this happens we have to be kind to ourselves..." SBB
Really, we must be kind to ourselves always. We need to listen to the words we say to ourselves every day. If we confront the Inner Critic with compassion and understanding, we learn to love ourselves. We can't wait until we have allowed ourselves to get so down, although there will be days like that even under the best circumstances, to be kind to ourselves. Our feelings are valid, our fears are real, even if they are not based on reality. We need to love ourselves into wholeness.
Sometimes, let yourself rest, treat yourself like the baby you are. It's OK. Love that baby. Bring home a carryout meal, dance, create, sing as loud as you want, have a cup of tea, write in your journal, take a long hot bath with soft music and candles, buy yourself a flower and put it where you can see it. Do these things for yourself even when you feel pretty good and I guarantee that you will have fewer days like those mentioned above. We recover our authentic selves one gentle gesture at a time.
Love this. Very true. Important for everyone to remember, but I think women are particularly hard on themselves.
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