First Rule: Love & Value Yourself

I have been doing a lot of self reflection & self realization lately;  more than usual, at least it seems so to me.  Although what I am about to say may appear as common sense to most, it isn't necessarily so, but a fundamental ingredient required to live well is ~ SELF VALUE.  If one feels worthy of themselves, they will in turn love themselves, and therefore take care of themselves by living a healthy and nourishing life, physically, intellectually, and spiritually.  How does one obtain self value?  It is learned from the beginning of life, inside the womb, from our mother, father,  brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, babysitters, teachers, and society.  I had been missing this key ingredient in my life.  Whether I was taught about self worth/value or not, I do not know for sure, but I do know that in this present moment, I am undoubtedly aware what this means and how important it is.  Maybe I did learn it and then it faded.  One thing is certain, I will never forget this lesson until I die or become ill.  A quote from one of my favorite books:  "When we love something it is of value to us, and when something is of value to us we spend time with it, time enjoying it, and time taking care of it.." ~ From THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED by M. Scott Peck, M.D. ~  Questions I used to ask myself:  Am I growing my soul? Is life a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through? And do we fail when we wish to elect a state and remain in it? wouldn't that be kind of a death? I seem to keep falling in this pattern of electing certain states to remain secure and find peace, but is that really where I belong...is that genuine peace or just temporary,  I think not.. the question is how do I find what I'm looking for if it's a mystery?   How I used to feel:If you love someoneThey will hurt youIf you trust someoneThey will lie to youIf you need someoneThey will leave youIf you want someoneYou can't have themIf you care NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT YOU(This is an unfortunate perspective for one to have, but the good news is that it is changeable.) 

Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~ Buddha quote ~   1.  FIND SOME TIME TO FOCUS ON YOU:  find a tranquil place where you can detach yourself from your normal surroundings so that you can focus on you.  Think about your life and ask yourself if you are genuienly happy.  Cultivate your mind, reflect on yourself, and don't let false happiness direct your path.  Peace comes from inside, not the external factors such as money, friends, cars, houses, alcohol, drugs, gambling, clothes, etc.   These things only satisfy you in the instant and quickly fades.  Ways in which you can find this inner peace that most of us lack are by getting involved in meditation, yoga, tai chi or through exploring other religious beliefs.

Namaste ~