Awakening Joy Course - August

The topic for this month is Learning to Love Ourselves. This theme follows from last month’s “letting go” theme, because when you let go of the stories of who you think you are, you see that you are truly lovable and worthy of love. This is actually our greatest gift to the world. To the extent we learn to do this we aren’t preoccupied with wondering if or proving that we're all right. Then we can give ourselves to others in service more fully.

Someone once asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama for advice on working with unworthiness. It took some time for him to understand the concept, but when he finally did, he looked straight at the questioner and very emphatically said, "You're wrong! You're absolutely wrong!" He went on to point out that seeing yourself as unworthy is missing the point that you are a perfect expression of life and have the same True Nature as every other living being.

In order to love ourselves we need to accept ourselves just as we are with all of our imperfections. The 3rd Zen Patriarch of China explains this beautifully in his Verses on the Faith Mind when he states that the highest realization is "to be without anxiety about non-perfection." The Buddhist meditation of metta or loving-kindness can help cultivate this attitude. Repeat often the phrases:
May I be happy.
May I be peaceful.
May I be kind to myself.
May I love and accept myself just as I am.

Lastly, an importance practice is bringing a kind, compassionate voice to our self-talk. Often, awareness of the tone of our thoughts helps us discern between the voice of judgment and the voice of wisdom. If you hear a harsh tone, you know that is not the voice of wisdom. One way to get in touch with this wisdom that wants to take good care of yourself is to ask directly, "What do I need right now for my well-being?" or “What do I need right now to thrive?” Listen for the honest response that comes.

The Buddha, in a famous teaching, said we could search the whole world over and not find anyone more deserving of love than ourselves.

From Marianne Williamson
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who
are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of
us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.