Do you tend to be a little hard on yourself?
Are you sometimes critical of yourself to preempt or silence others judgments of you?
We do need to distinguish what's healthy from what's unhealthy,
But my son,
Cory,
Who had multiple disabilities and now is in heaven,
Was the most joyful person I've ever met,
And I think it's because he never ever judged himself.
I learned from Cory that harsh criticisms and judgments really are incompatible with true joy.
So with your eyes closed and in a place where you can fully relax,
You're invited to enter into a space where you can move from judgment to joy.
Take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly.
Then breathe in and breathe out.
Feel a wave of calming peace enter at the crown of your head and move down through your scalp and face,
Into your neck,
Shoulders,
Arms,
And chest,
Into your stomach and back,
And down through your hips,
Legs,
And feet.
Breathe in once more and breathe out into deep relaxation.
You know why Cory never judged himself?
Because he knew he belonged here.
At his sacred core,
In the deepest way a person can,
Cory knew he belonged here.
Things to be sure of in this life that may be the most important of all,
That we belong.
See if you can just feel that for a moment.
You belong.
Can you feel yourself now embraced by the universe?
Enveloped in a soft warm glow of love and support?
Just let any judgments or criticisms melt away and know you belong on this earth.
I learned from Cory that when we love ourselves,
We can even embrace our imperfections.
From there,
We can recognize and respect the gifts that all the imperfect beings in this world have to offer each other.
And then we can start building the connections that bring true,
Vibrant joy into our lives.
Yes,
I learned from Cory that the secret to happiness is connection.
So send some love to yourself right now.
Really truly love yourself right now in this moment.
If it feels uncomfortable,
Cory would encourage you to try it more often.
Just embrace yourself,
Imperfections and all.
Imagine your imperfections like brushstrokes on a painting,
All contributing to the beautiful and complex work of art that is you.
Let any tension leave your body and feel a sense of complete acceptance and love wash over you.
You may want to silently repeat,
I embrace and love myself,
Imperfections and all.
And now spend a few silent moments in this embrace.
Begin to welcome movement back into your body and when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Today you return to your day,
Lifted by the understanding that you belong,
You are worthy of love and you deserve deep connections that bring true joy.
