By Sumit Paul We may be great lovers of beauty, seeing it in the people, places and things around us while completely missing it in ourselves. Some of us feel that it is vain to consider our appearance too much, or we may find that when we look at ourselves, all we see are imperfections. Sometimes, we see our beauty in a shallow way, noticing how well we are conforming to social norms but failing to see the deeper beauty that shines out from within.
If we simply appreciate how beautiful we are, we free up so much energy. We also become less dependent upon the opinions and feedback of others since we become our own greatest admirers. Often, after a great yog practice or a long, deep meditation, we are more able to see how beautiful we are.
This is because we have released some of our baggage, thus unburdening ourselves and summoning forth the spirit that dwells within us. To keep ourselves in touch with our own beauty, we can surround ourselves with images. The best way, though, is to keep looking deeply into our own souls.
Is loving oneself selfishness? Is self-love demeaning? It never is. We are capable of loving others when we learn to love ourselves. Charity begins at home.
Love also begins at home and it blossoms through self-love. If the key to wisdom is to know thyself, the essence of universal love lies in loving oneself. It is not narcissism.
It is the sublimation of love burgeoning from one’s own self. It is the furtherance of self into selves. The whole world that.