Love what you find, find what you love.....

 I read this sticker on my water body while practicing yoga this morning.... it ended up being my mantra for the day. What have I found that I love? Do I love what I have found? It brought my awareness to my own being, to where I am today with myself and what I love. Love~ oh, love.... it seems that our mind instantly wanders to the thought of romantic love when we hear the word love. It feels like this dreamy, ungrounded space where the thought of our perfect partner sweeping us away to live happily ever after takes over (at least, this what it feels like in my experience). It reminded me of this amazing realization I came to a few months ago. Keep in mind, I've read what feels like a gazillion self help books on loving yourself, finding the perfect partner, and healing our past wounds to find love. But, for some reason, I FINALLY got it.
 My amazing mentor, Char, speaks endlessly about love and being love and self love. It was after one of her classes that it happened. I remember thinking, "holy shit! I get it! I really have to love myself, every single part of myself. Every quirk, every imperfection, EVERYTHING! Every word I speak, every freckle, every time I laugh, the absolute entirety of my being before he is going to show up!! Duh! I've only read this, like I said, a gazillion times! And not only that, when I do love my entire being, my partner will hopefully love his entire being (the whole reflection thing) and then what we share, what we call love, will join and grow together! In that moment, I finally realized that I was ready. Ready to find a partner, ready to experience a "partnership" with the understanding of what it really means... I'm ready!
 So, in reading this sticker....love what you find, find what you love.... I had the overwhelming sense that I have found love for myself. The kind of love that sweeps one off their feet, all for myself. I do love what I have found and found what I love completely.
 That being said, I am human, and I do fall out of love ocassionally :) The other thought that came to me while repeating this mantra in my head today was, the moment I stop loving myself and go into my self critique is the moment I fall into fear and doubt. It's the moment I start saying to myself "I'll never find someone. I'll never get the job, home, friends I desire." It's in this moment when I stop loving myself that I start hurting myself! WOW! I'll pass on that one....
 So, I love that I love myself. I love that I realize it's ok to fall out of love with myself as long as I'm consciously aware of it. And, I love the life that I have created and the beauty that surrounds me. All because I know this outer beauty is a complete reflection of me and you. That this internal, unconditional love is what is reflected back to me through each smile and the brightness in another's eyes. And that with this love, all will be healed....

With love~
 Heather