LOVE OF SELF, LOVE OF OTHERS, LOVE OF ALL OTHERS

Love of self first is like putting the oxygen mask on first in an airplane emergency. Most people say they would want to put the mask on a child or loved one first, then themselves. But the problem is, if they pass out or can not function, what good are they to the person they want to protect?

Being whole and rational is underrated. Most of us go through life struggling to get through the day. There is a song by Jeffery Gains called "Our Lie" that speaks to this. The verse goes,

"Each day goes by just like the last. They go so slow but they’re gone so fast. THIS IS OUR ONLY LIFE, IT'S NOT A REHEARSAL. This is just our lie, where is reversal."

So if you look at life as an opportunity to bring your own unique perspective to mankind, doesn't that make you just as important as the next person? You only have one shot to exist as you, so why waste it? This isn't a rehearsal. Things are happening right now. Things you can affect. But first you have to get out of your own way and let go of things long past that are wearing you down.

When you love yourself, you tend to care more for others because you have room in your mind for them. But if you are holding on to past slights or even present ones, you end up slow, tired and sluggish. It's exhausting carrying around a lot of baggage. The funny thing is, the person you are so upset about usually doesn't know it and they are going about their business, while you suffer in silence.

I was able to release my baggage years ago by doing, what I call, PEALING THE ONION. You start from today and work backward. You start thinking about your life, and the things that make you have that feeling in your throat. You know, the feeling right before you cry or get upset. Then look at that situation as a detached viewer. Look at how the situation has shaped your life. By the time you get through your childhood, your baggage will be unpacked. You will find that there are repeating patterns in your life. You can see how you contributed to the pattern. You will also see that everything that happened had a purpose. Most people don't want to feel the pain of the past, but in reality, you feel it every day, because you carry it with you. So to foster change, you have to change your behavior. This is a tried and true method on the road to self-love.