The Courage to Love

Everyone wants to feel and experience love, and for many it is the greatest desire as a human being.  So, it's strange to think that we would need courage to love ourself, assuming we have been comfortable so far not loving ourself.

Over the years we can build layers of limiting beliefs and develop self-deprecating habits that can lead to self-judgment, poor thinking and a lack of self-esteem.  We can become well practised at giving our love and personal power away, denying the value of ourself, our uniqueness, our talents and our wellbeing.  We can begin to believe that we are not good enough, not smart enough, and not deserving of love.  Living with this kind of self-perception can close doors of opportunity in our life, moving us away from true love.

Life frequently offers us the challenge and the benefits of contrast, which gives us the opportunity to see what is possible as well as what we resonate with and what we do not.  In the process of being stretched we often discover how easy it is to be pulled by our fears, rather than the desire to experience the freedom that comes from self-acceptance and love for our soul-being.

For many, the onset of significant change can be terrifying, particularly as we become more self-aware and awakened to our own truth and our desire to experience greater love.  Despite our fears, there is an inner soul-calling to live as our true and complete self.  To do this however, requires courage to go deeper, heal from past wounds, and recognise the significance of our interconnectedness with our mind, body and spirit.

Once we begin to experience a more awakened consciousness it is difficult to ignore and so we are drawn to the choice to either commit to our own transformation with faith, determination and trust or live with the inner conflict and struggle of denying our true self the opportunity to experience Divine Love and a deeper spiritual connection. 

Developing courage to love ourself means accepting the discomfort of change and the possibility of feeling exposed or vulnerable in the light of unconditional love.  Saying 'yes' to our personal truth means accepting the challenge to grow in self-love and wisdom, while learning to trust the uniqueness of our true self, despite our fears which create our everyday reality. 

Confronting our fears is not a trip down easy street and the choice to love ourself completely and unreservedly means being stretched beyond our comfort zone.  So, why would we consider experiencing this kind of discomfort? 

As our Soul awakens we begin to sense and feel the inspiration of Divine Love permeate our being, influencing our choices and the way we live.  This inner upswell in our heart becomes a compelling call that is guiding us towards greater freedom and authentic love.

"It takes courage ..... to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives". (Marianne Williamson)

Having courage is often described as 'taking action in the face of fear', persevering in the face of adversity, standing up for what is right, following our heart and intuition, expanding our horizons, letting go of the familiar, and facing suffering with dignity and faith. This sounds all very noble and maybe on the surface it appears easy to achieve, but in reality, it doesn't really work that way.  Accepting the road towards personal transformation and loving oneself usually requires unlearning past beliefs and behaviours, and facing our deepest fears.   Accepting our whole self and embracing the choice for change means letting go of what we are used to thinking, believing and doing, and then allowing Spirit to guide us, as we learn to trust in ourself and the power of Divine Love.

Developing the courage to love is a process of self-acceptance, inner trust, forgiveness, and self-compassion.  It's not easy, however the reward of being free to be our true self and living with a deep connection to our divinity, is fulfilment beyond our lifetime.

"The Power of Soul Loving - A Spiritual Guide to Love and Freedom"
by Rebecca Gabrielle
(Balboa Press, 2019, Ch 6)
www.thepowerofsoulloving.com