On loving ourselves some more...

On loving ourselves some more...

I keep asking myself how does one love oneself?
At times I think I'm getting the hang of it, but then I seem to have lost it again.
It seems so odd, to love something you can't very well perceive, it seems much easier to love something or someone that is right in front of you.
So I think it has got to do with exactly that: Perceiving ourselves. To love ourselves we have to perceive ourselves.
How do we do that?
By keeping the focus inside of ourselves.
This is another thing that is not obvious for many of us, as we have learned to focus our attention outside of ourselves to be able to please others and get their approval and according rewards. Sad but true.
So this drawing our intention back inside can be quite a struggle.
But I know for a fact from previous experiences, you know when I did have the hang of it, that if we keep at it, our attention will eventually stay inside voluntarily.
And this is a wonderful feeling.
It feels like we are enough. Just being us, is enough. Finally! Everything extra is a bonus!
That is a good start point for anything, leaving us much less vulnerable, but open to receive love nonetheless.

In my experience the drawing inside of our attention can be done in a simple way.
We can witnes what is going on inside and if what is going on there it is pleasant we feed it. If it is not, we limit it as much as we can, letting the unpleasantness only take up as much place as is highly necessary for our own good.
This is practical self love. Managing our thoughts.

For example we are witnessing a signal inside saying: I am hungry. Ok, this is a healthy signal and we can listen to it and lovingly feed ourselves with wholesome foods, not postponing eating any longer then necessary.
But if for example we witness a dialogue going on inside, telling us that we didn't do this very well and that the other thing will never work out, creating worry and shame inside of us, we need to stop it and tell ourselves. 'Ok, so you worry, maybe you didn't do things perfectly, but you did your best and it's going to be allright. Would you like to try it like this next time?'

Practical and loving. That is the inner guidance we need from ourselves.
Basically being there for ourselves, it seems so logical right? The first person that is our responsibility is we, ourselves.
I know, it's a bit boring, at least it seems like that. But once we manage to draw our attention inside and keep it there, it'll become warm and cozy and we will have warmth and coziness to offer to other people too.

Lots of Love,
Clara @wombloom

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