HAPPY NEW PERSPECTIVE

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change" - Carl Rogers
Transformation does not come from setting out to change anything about who you are, it comes from discovering who you are. Awareness and acceptance are the openings to the natural unfolding...the grace of transformation. We are all aware of what we don't like about ourselves, our bodies, our life situations, even our emotions. And, quite naturally, we have a desire to improve these things so that we may be fulfilled. But, have you ever noticed that the things you detest the most about yourself are the very things that keep bothering you? The things we would like to change about ourselves are the very things that we can never change?

There is another possibility. To simply embrace that which we would seek to change....to accept what we are trying to get rid of.....to welcome what we would be busy keeping away. Our true nature is unconditional Love. Unconditional Love means that everything is loved, everything is welcomed, everything is included. So, when we are attempting to change or fix what we are, we are in opposition to the most true and whole thing within us--- Love. Love embraces all, even our extra pounds, our anger, our depression. When we refuse to allow or include these things within us, we unconsciously resist ourselves, and this resistance leads to a nearly endless battle with ourselves over the things we want so deeply to change.

It is by the full and complete embrace of our darkness, our fears, our insecurities, our bodies that we come to align with the transformative power of Loving. Hate, resistance, and opposition lead to guilt, struggle, and suffering. Love, inclusion, and allowing, open up the door to a compassionate experience with ourselves that makes true transformation possible. So, as you consider making changes in your life, let your deeper considerations go to embracing yourself just as you are. First, hold the deep compassion of total acceptance of yourself and see what unfolds from that. It is a myth that you need great discipline to change your experience. A simple gesture to embrace it all is what actually brings about what we want the most.