Make Peace with Yourself
What does it mean to "make peace with yourself?" Making peace with yourself is a commitment to treat yourself better and accept yourself as you are. It is simple and rewarding, but it takes practice and commitment, and it isn't always easy.
We have been trained to constantly evaluate and judge ourselves in the hopes that we can improve ourselves. Logically, it seems like the only way to change our thoughts, behaviours and feelings is to vigilantly monitor ourselves and put pressure on ourselves to make different choices. Even many spiritual teachings take this approach, asking us to stop our thoughts, think more positively, or let go of our stories. And when we inevitably make a mistake in our efforts, we chastise ourselves in a further attempt to do better next time. People say, "change your behaviour and you will change your results." How well is this approach really working for us? How many of us work hard to think, feel, and behave differently, and still find ourselves unhappy, unsatisfied, and stuck?
Time for a ceasefire. Different thoughts, feelings and behaviour may well lead to different results, but these things can change and shift organically, without the need to constantly attack ourselves. Making peace with yourself is a new approach to your life where you love all parts of yourself. At first, this can seem incredibly overwhelming, but there is no need to go searching and digging up every old thought and feeling that might need attention. To know what is most in need of your love, simply ask yourself: "How am I feeling now?" Then, as author and spiritual guide Matt Kahn would say, "whatever arises, love that."
Why, you might ask, would I reward my most unwanted and unsavoury thoughts, feelings, and behaviours with my love? Your unconscious mind can be seen much like a young child looking for your loving attention. No thought, feeling or behaviour is off limits to your innocence, as it strives to get you to turn the amazing love that you are onto yourself. Once your innocence has your love, it no longer needs to use your thoughts and behaviour to get your attention. You do not have to like your thoughts and feelings, but love the one who has them. And if you cannot love the one who feels, love the one who cannot love.
Making peace with yourself is not a fix-it solution to all your problems. It is a new way of living the life you have, no matter what comes into your experience. It is a practice that takes cultivation and that can yield the rewards of deep peace and healing. When you forget to love, love the one who forgets. When you judge yourself or others, love the one who judges. When you attack yourself, love the one who attacks. Your entire life - every thought, feeling, behaviour and experience - is conspiring to invite you to love yourself and become the hero you have been looking for.
Make peace with yourself and begin the journey to true love and peace.
We have been trained to constantly evaluate and judge ourselves in the hopes that we can improve ourselves. Logically, it seems like the only way to change our thoughts, behaviours and feelings is to vigilantly monitor ourselves and put pressure on ourselves to make different choices. Even many spiritual teachings take this approach, asking us to stop our thoughts, think more positively, or let go of our stories. And when we inevitably make a mistake in our efforts, we chastise ourselves in a further attempt to do better next time. People say, "change your behaviour and you will change your results." How well is this approach really working for us? How many of us work hard to think, feel, and behave differently, and still find ourselves unhappy, unsatisfied, and stuck?
Time for a ceasefire. Different thoughts, feelings and behaviour may well lead to different results, but these things can change and shift organically, without the need to constantly attack ourselves. Making peace with yourself is a new approach to your life where you love all parts of yourself. At first, this can seem incredibly overwhelming, but there is no need to go searching and digging up every old thought and feeling that might need attention. To know what is most in need of your love, simply ask yourself: "How am I feeling now?" Then, as author and spiritual guide Matt Kahn would say, "whatever arises, love that."
Why, you might ask, would I reward my most unwanted and unsavoury thoughts, feelings, and behaviours with my love? Your unconscious mind can be seen much like a young child looking for your loving attention. No thought, feeling or behaviour is off limits to your innocence, as it strives to get you to turn the amazing love that you are onto yourself. Once your innocence has your love, it no longer needs to use your thoughts and behaviour to get your attention. You do not have to like your thoughts and feelings, but love the one who has them. And if you cannot love the one who feels, love the one who cannot love.
Making peace with yourself is not a fix-it solution to all your problems. It is a new way of living the life you have, no matter what comes into your experience. It is a practice that takes cultivation and that can yield the rewards of deep peace and healing. When you forget to love, love the one who forgets. When you judge yourself or others, love the one who judges. When you attack yourself, love the one who attacks. Your entire life - every thought, feeling, behaviour and experience - is conspiring to invite you to love yourself and become the hero you have been looking for.
Make peace with yourself and begin the journey to true love and peace.