Yanni's Blog

This is Part I of a two part blog. See my next blog post of 12/06/06 for Part II.

What does it mean to love oneself or another person? As I have journeyed through my life, I have come to the following understanding of what it means to truly love:

But what does it mean “to be present for yourself,” to just be there for yourself?

As far as I am concerned, you are your most “significant other.” So, in order to love yourself, you must be fully present for yourself. You must be “listening” to your self. You must be honoring yourself. You must be accepting and appreciating yourself unconditionally. This is love: “Being totally present for your self” with no judgments, no analysis, no preconceived beliefs, concepts or ideas of what you “should” be or do.

Giving this kind of love and presence to yourself, whether someone else is “present” for you or not, is the key to Self-mastery and happiness; it is actually “the key” to life. “Being present,” in this way, I believe, is the answer to the perennial question of “How do I love myself or another person?”

As for myself, I know that in the past I did not think that it was possible to love myself. I did not appreciate or understand my value. All I ever did was look at what was “wrong” with me and judge and reject myself. So, all I was doing was playing an old script of “I am not good enough” and “I am not worthy.” I had adopted a false belief system about myself.

As well, I was always looking for validation outside myself. I was looking for others to affirm me. I was “looking for love in all the wrong places,” so to speak.

I had no idea how majestic and miraculous a being I really was. I did not know how to be in my own “Presence.”

This is Part I of a two part blog entry. Please see Part II on 12/06/06