Often, the root of our pain is our lack of self love. Think about it. When's the last time you had a harsh thought about yourself? Maybe you felt disgusted by how you looked in the mirror after your shower. Maybe you beat yourself up for scarfing down a couple of lemon donuts last night. Or perhaps you worry that you aren't good enough for your partner. All of these are very common ways to feel, but they're destructive in more ways than I can count. We often don't realize just how much damage we are doing to ourselves by having these kinds of thoughts.
The truth is, society can be tough on us. So many ideas about what is good and beautiful are planted in our impressionable little brains before we even have a chance to intellectualize what is going on. As children we understand that we are divine and perfect but growing up in this world can sometimes chip away at that natural self love.
So the first thing you should do, no matter where you are in life, is forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for everything you ever did. Chances are, you have been a forgiving person when it comes to the people you truly love in your life. So show yourself the same compassion and kindness as you have them by being willing to let go of all the painful feelings of resentment, loathing, and inadequacy that you carry with you. Be willing to think about yourself in new ways. Meditate on this idea for awhile. If you truly want to know how to get happy, then your mind has to be open to it.
I will post another blog entry soon, with the next step in the process of getting happy once and for all. Until then, I will leave you with some book recommendations. I wish you well, and thank you for reading.
