Throughout the ages, the advice to love yourself first has prevailed. From Buddha to Eleanor Roosevelt; from Oscar Wilde to Rumi; from Hecaton of Rhodes to Dolly Parton, the advice has been the same.

Buddha: “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

Eleanor Roosevelt: “Friendship with one’s self is all-important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.”

Oscar Wilde: “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”

Rumi: “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”

Hecaton of Rhodes: “If you wish to be loved, love.”

Dolly Parton: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

These bright people are not promoting a narcissistic love of self, but a healthy one with acceptance, patience, forgiveness and kindness — just like you would love a best friend, warts and all.

So, by loving yourself, accepting yourself, you become the person you want to be and others notice! Make yourself a priority! When things change inside you, things change around you.

I hope you enjoy this March 2024 Poem of the Month, and please remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

LOVE YOURSELF FIRST

Self-talk may be the culprit, the thing that holds you back
From living your best life, the one you would choose
If you knew that self-love is essential for loving others.
(True love starts with self-love; do not be confused.)

Mark Twain said it best when he penned these words:
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
Befriend yourself first; other friendships will follow.
When you’ve learned this, it’s nothing short of a miracle.

You may have been criticizing yourself for years…
(And how has that worked for you? Probably not well.)
Try approving of yourself and see what happens:
You’ll have friends, you’ll be happy, and doubts will dispel.

We teach others how to think of us… (yes, we do)
By how we think of ourselves, don’t you know.
How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.
You’ve everything to gain — Come on, give it a go…

When you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others.
You’re continually teaching others how to treat you.
When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.
The exchange becomes natural… it’s what you do.

Self-love and love of others go hand in hand,
And, ultimately one cannot tell one from another.
Your relationship with yourself will set the tone
For all other relationships you might have. You’re the author.

Fall in love with yourself, It’s the first secret to happiness.
Be kind, be considerate; be your own best friend.
Self-care is giving the world the best of you
Instead of what is left of you in the end.

It has occurred to me recently, with all the unpleasant news filling the air ways day after day, that more attention needs to be paid to positive and uplifting thoughts and information for our ears (and our souls). The result?  

FINDING BEAUTY, my February 2024 Poem Of The Month, will hopefully help us to counteract some of those negative news stories with positive, beautiful and uplifting thoughts and approaches to life.

We do have choices as to how we see the world that we live in, and how we approach it. Carry love in your heart and your life will benefit from it.

Remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer.

FINDING BEAUTY

“A beautiful heart sees beauty in everything!”
(In my observation, I’ve found this to be true.)
The beauty in your heart determines the quality of your life.
How you see the world depends entirely upon you!

Life is full of beauty if you’re able to notice.
It’s up to you to see it. It’s right there, ready to be seen.
The reflection off the lake, a small child playing —
The sunset, the sunrise, a conversation serene…

Cultivate the habit of seeing the beauty
Which surrounds you always, if you only could see;
Something as simple as the shape of food on your plate,
Or the play of shadows as the breeze moves the tree.

Beauty is the promise of happiness and
No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart.
Fix your attention on the beautiful and the good,
And dwell as little as possible in the opposite part.

Spend time in a gallery to appreciate fine art;
Make reading poetry and listening to music your goal,
So that worldly cares don’t obliterate the beautiful
Which nature has implanted in the human soul.

Franz Kafka said the ability to see beauty around you
Keeps you young. You will never grow “old.”
Acknowledge the beauty that resides within you.
It will open your heart with joy to behold!

A New Year!!

A new beginning?    

Or will it be more of the same old, same old?

My belief is that how 2024 turns out will be up to you, and to you… and you… and you… and yes, of course, to me!

A very striking bit of information about how we judge the world is the reminder that we do NOT see things as THEY ARE; we see them as WE ARE.

Swami Vivekananda, philosopher, author, and religious teacher who lived around the turn of the last century, said: “If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.”

And Winston Churchill said: “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”    

The World is what you think it is. If you can change your thoughts, you can change the world. It all begins with the thoughts in your mind — positive thoughts reap positive results and negative thoughts bring negative results.

Positive thinking is powerful thinking. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success, and inner peace, start thinking you have the power to achieve those things. Focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results.

Everything is within your power!

And your power is within you!

YOU ARE LED BY YOUR THOUGHTS

“Pessimism never won any battles,”
Nor much else, except a feeling of grief.
Dwight D. Eisenhower stated those very wise words.
We’re glad he shared his belief.

If you think about disaster, with really rough going,
Then that’s what you get nine times out of ten.
It can affect your health, your overall well-being,
Your relationships with friends… so, where’ll you be then?

Happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are,
Or what you have… Oh, no!
It depends solely on what you think,
So think positive thoughts… go on, give it a go!

Plato told us realty is created by the mind.
What you can think of you can achieve.
You can change your reality by changing your mind.
It’s true. Try it… you will soon believe.

Willie Nelson—yes, that Willie Nelson—added his thoughts to the mix
On the subject of positive and negative thinking:
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones,
Your positive results will begin interlinking.”

BOTTOM LINE: The World is what we think it is.
We are the ones responsible for what we see.
If we can change our thoughts we can change the world.
Imagine: It all depends upon you and on me.