love yourself

[Otis]

  On 2/7/2011 at 3:19 AM, dmattwads said:

How does one increase self love?

Personally, I don't see usefulness in "increasing self love". Nor usefulness in self love, at all.

 

Of course, I also don't see any usefulness in attacking or despising the self. My preference is: no self image at all, neither positive nor negative.

 

I think there's an alternative to self love that has all the power, with none of the ego traps. And that is: loving my life.

 

Not love life as an evaluation: "my life is good". Because that's all based on comparison to a fantasy of how good someone else's life is (or a memory about my previous experiences).

 

Rather, love life as in: live in constant wonder and appreciation for the opportunity to be alive, no matter what particular conditions happen to be at the moment.

 

If I love life, then I don't need to find "compassion", because loving my life means loving all the contents of my life, including other people.

 

Nor do I need to find "self love" because I am not separate from my life. If I live as a distinct organism to whom life happens, then I am wary of life, because it is what brings suffering. But if I accept suffering as just one of the many flavors of this adventure, then I embrace all experience. Indeed, "I" am indistinct from experience.

 

So, no, I don't believe in affirmations and other self-love techniques, because they seem to be just reinforcing the sense of self, which reinforces separation from life. Rather I say: forget the self, and just love the process of living.

[XieJia]

  On 2/7/2011 at 3:19 AM, dmattwads said:

How does one increase self love?

 

maybe give it up?

 

edited: sorry didn't read the ending of Otis' post.

Edited February 8, 2011 by XieJia

[Maddie]

  On 2/7/2011 at 6:44 AM, sifusufi said:

Secret smile and Zhan Zhuang

 

And most important...

 

 

 

:lol:

 

In that case I'm well on my way lol