Self-love isn't about practicing affirmations or telling yourself how worthy you are.
While this can be a nice stepping stone towards self-acceptance,
It will only get you halfway.
Think of your body as a temple.
Over the years,
The temple has become dusty and neglected.
Who have stored all of your old baggage in this temple and have chosen to not look at it or even think about it.
People walk past this temple and they don't feel tempted to look inside.
It doesn't seem so welcoming.
But one day,
Something makes you look inside the temple again.
Either someone guides you in with safety while holding your hand all the way.
Or perhaps something turns your world upside down and you are forced to flee into the temple while having no choice but to look at your old belongings.
And as you rummage through your stuff,
You feel a surge of compassion move through you.
Even the most dark and hideous belongings now seem like a lesson.
You notice how it changed you.
And you admire your younger self for living through the turbulence,
The confusion and the not knowing of who you were at that time.
The more you rummage through old belongings,
The more safe you feel to delve deeper.
You may find old stories that you once had forgotten and you realise how easy it was to let those stories go.
So you decide to do the same.
All the old neglected belongings inside the temple.
You make the choice to gently remove them from the temple with care.
Finally,
The temple is clear.
The sunlight beams in through the windows.
And you take a releasing breath.
Your shoulders drop and your jaw releases.
You then suddenly think,
What will I do with all the old stuff?
But as you go outside,
You find that the belongings are nowhere to be seen.
As if they disappeared in the blink of an eye.
No one could have taken that huge amount of baggage in that short space of time,
You wonder.
Was I dreaming?
Was it really there?
You shrug it off and instead you tend to your temple,
Clearing away any dust and debris.
The space feels so open and clear now and you start receiving insights and ideas of what you can do with all this space.
You could dance,
You could decorate,
You could invite others to enjoy the space with you.
Opportunities are endless.
Others begin to pop their head in with curiosity.
The temple now looks so gleaming,
Radiant,
Alive and welcoming.
You become so busy creating and tending to your temple.
That the old belongings are no longer thought about.
Instead,
Your mind is full of inspiration and wonder,
As if you are a child again,
Seeing everything new for the first time.
So then,
What is self-love?
Self-love was the stepping stone that allowed you the safety to clear your temple.
And now the temple is clear.
Self-love isn't even necessary.
Because it isn't even a concept anymore.
Self-love can only be true if the opposite is also true.
But here in this open temple.
All baggage has disappeared.
And all that is left is each and every single moment.
No past,
No future,
Just now.
You are open,
Receptive,
And curious to the natural unfolding of what comes next.
With no attachment,
No expectation,
Just a forever flowing with life.
