Image by Neil Dodhia
Narrated by Marie T. Russell.
As much as we like to think of ourselves as unique individuals, we all have so much in common. One of those things is a need or yearning for love. Even the most hardened criminal needs to be loved. And actually, maybe one reason they are as they are was the lack of love in their childhood... but that's conjecture on my part as I don't think I know any hardened criminal personally. And maybe there is no such thing as a hardened criminal... only a person "temporarily hardened" by life experiences. But I digress.
All of us, even animals, need to love and be loved. We need it for basic survival, we need it for growth, both physical and emotional, and we need it for happiness.
Loving Relationships
While most of us think of our parents as the first people we were in relationship with, actually we are the first person we were in relationship with. And we will be the last. Thus that makes our relationship with ourselves the most important one.
That being said, in order to be at peace with ourselves, we need to be at peace with those around us. An angry and agitated person cannot be at peace with themselves, whatever the cause of their stress. So our goal needs to be to establish a loving relationship with the people around us so we can have a peaceful relationship with ourselves... and vice versa.
The card "Loving Relationships" in the Manifesting Your Mastery deck, starts with this statement: "The relationships I have are loving, open, honest, and filled with mutual respect and trust." This is a worthy and worthwhile goal for us to have, each and every day of our life. And we must remember to include ourselves in that... being loving and respectful of ourselves is also part of the loving relationship goal.
I Am Loved
Perhaps one place to start is to realize that we are loved. For many, this is shaky ground. In some religions, Father God is portrayed as a harsh, judging and punishing father... not one that is understanding and unconditionally loving. And many homes also do not have parents that are, whether intentionally or not, unconditionally loving and accepting.
So we grow up feeling judged by adults, by other children, and by society at large. We are too fat or too skinny, too shy or too outspoken, too something or not enough the other. So how can one feel loved through all this?
As we develop friendships and loving relationships, we discover that others do love us for who we are, quirks and all. They are not as judgmental towards us as we, perhaps, are to ourselves. So once we recognize that others see that we are worthy of being loved, we can accept that we can love ourselves, even if we don't live up to our own expectations for our own self. We remind ourselves that we are loved just the way we are. Every day, we can tell ourselves: I love you as you are, and I am loved for who I am.
I Radiate Peace
At times, we can be our worst enemy. We do this mostly through the thoughts we harbor in our mind. We often project our doubts and fears on others, assuming that they are thinking what our worst fears assume they are thinking.
Since we can never be certain what someone else is thinking, we can choose instead to imagine the good things they may be thinking. When we fear being ridiculed, or think someone is insulting or rejecting us, we can choose to imagine being loved and accepted instead.
In this way, we choose to feel peace, rather than fear, anger, frustration, impatience, etc. Rather than wrap ourselves up in doubts and fears, we can choose to wrap ourselves (and others) in a bubble of Love, and radiate peace.
Filled with Love
Once we start living from a center of Love and Peace, we connect with the essence of Divinity that resides within us. We become filled with Love.
The spark of light and love that resides inside of our being, inside of our heart, is the essence of Divinity. It is us, and we are it. We are One with Love.
The more we remember who we truly are -- Love -- the better and happier our life will be.
Connected Within
Our world has taught us separation. We were told that we are either this or that... good or bad, smart or stupid, attractive or not, etc. However, the truth is that we are all and none of those things. And, we are only what we choose to be in this moment.
When our connection is to the outside world, we are subject to its fantasies, to its fads, to its fears. When, instead, we choose to connect with the better angels of our nature, our inner self, we can tap into a source of bliss and creativity. When we connect within, we discover that we always have access to a well of peace, of acceptance of what is, and of guidance to create what we desire... love, joy, health, well-being, etc.
The outside world will always do its thing. It will present challenges, moments of exhilaration and despair, and times of neutrality and R&R. However, regardless of external circumstances, we can choose to be in a bad mood, or a good mood. We can choose to look for solutions rather than remain in a mindset of confusion and fear. We can choose to connect to our inner source of guidance, creativity, and well-being. In this way, we establish a solid foundation of inner peace which then transmits throughout all our relationships.
Old Soul Wisdom
One of our assets is knowledge and experience. Our experience of previous relationships is all part of the tools we have to use in our day-to-day encounters. We learn from previous successes and failures. So anytime we are confused and need direction, we can access our memory banks for reference points that connect to our current situation.
We also have the benefit of the experience of the whole world when we tune in to our inner guidance and intuition. In this way, we have access to all the experience and knowledge of all the souls on earth - past, present, and future.
We can go within and tap into the wisdom of All That Is. One way to do that is by asking, If I had the wisdom of an Old Soul, what would I do? Or if you're more comfortable with specific images, What would Jesus (or Buddha) do?
Peaceful Soul
Life can feel chaotic with its many stresses and challenges. However, when we maintain a peaceful perspective, things flow much more smoothly. We always have the choice to react from tension, or from peace. The difference can be as simple as taking a deep breath and looking for the good, rather than the bad.
Every coin, and every experience, has two sides or two perspectives. We can view any experience from the perspective of "what can I learn from this" rather than see it as an atrocious experience. Seeking to learn will bring us to the center of our peaceful soul, which generates joy and well-being. Feeling frustration and anger will take us away from our calm inner center.
A good affirmation or thought to focus on is "I am calm, relaxed, and blissfully peaceful." Repeat that sentence, even when you don't feel it...or especially when you don't feel it. It might feel a bit like a case of "fake it 'til you make it", but it's actually more a case of focusing on the end-result you desire... inner calm, outer relaxation, and feeling blissfully peaceful.
Article inspired from:
Manifesting Your Mastery Cards: Inspired by the writings of Kryon
by Monika Muranyi (Creator), Deborah Delisi (Illustrator)
This deck is filled with daily affirmations designed to enhance soul communication and life force. within this deck are 44 affirmation cards, and a guidebook to help ou create your own affirmations, long with suggestions on how to use them.
Info/Order this card deck.
More Inspirational Card Decks
About The Author
Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.
Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com
