“Love is not a feeling. Love is an action, an activity. . .Genuine love implies commitment and the exercise of wisdom. . . . love as the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.....true love is an act of will that often transcends ephemeral feelings of love or cathexis, it is correct to say, 'Love is as love does'.” M. Scott Peck
If you love yourself - "warts and all" - you color your world from that perspective. As with all virtues - balance is the key. Too much self love becomes narcissism, too little becomes self loathing. Self love is not predicated by a belief in God/Higher Power/Higher Self and is not a moral dilemma, rather it is dependent upon having the "right view". In this case the "right view" is to not identify with the EGO. EGO in its truest form calls for opposing views - love/hate. Self love in its highest form is pure love. For self love to manifest, the individual must die to their infantile EGO state. Daily meditation is a simple way to achieve self love.
A suggested meditation for self love:
1. Find a quiet safe place free from distractions.
2. Set a timer for 11 minutes.
3. Close your eyes and open your mind.
4. Take 3 deep breaths focusing all of your attention on just how good it feels to breathe.
5. Relax your mind, relax your body.
6. As your attention moves inward - be mindful of how you feel. Pay attention to what you are feeling.
7. If distracting thoughts enter your mind...let them go. Bring your attention back to the sensations in your body.
8. Ask yourself - "what keeps me from loving myself?"
9. Sitting comfortably and relaxed - pay attention to what your body is telling you.
10. Try this every day for six weeks...like physical exercise - the subtler bodies take a little practice!
