Self-acceptance and unconditional love
Irini Rockwell 
Self acceptance and the inherent unconditional love that comes from fully embracing who we are is what we need to remember when struggling.
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Self-acceptance and unconditional love
I find myself inspired to write about self-acceptance and the unconditional love that naturally arises from fully embracing who we are.
It is often in our moments of greatest struggle that we need this understanding the most—and when we find it the hardest to practice.
It is no surprise, then, that I often refer people to Chapter 13, "Embracing Who We Are," in my book The Five Wisdom Energies. Here is its essence:
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Quotation
When energy becomes heightened, we need a very powerful tool—the tool of unconditional loving-kindness, maitri—which allows us to be who we are unreservedly.
Maitri is unconditional friendliness toward ourselves. Accepting ourselves as we are, in both our sanity and our confusion, is the key to opening our heart. It allows us to be in the present moment just as it is, without trying to cling to it or push it away.
Accepting ourselves fully is what ends our struggle. It allows us to appreciate ourselves and our world despite life's obstacles. Only when we love ourselves in this unconditional way can we truly love others. Only when we love ourselves can we be lovable.
Maitri has a soft quality that is open, kind, relaxed, warm, and inclusive. It allows us to be who we are and let all our colors shine. We breathe easily.
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As Trungpa Rinpoche always said,
"Good luck, sweetheart."
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Reflection Question
What would change if, today, you met yourself with unconditional friendliness instead of self-judgment?
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If this resonated with you, I invite you to explore more about the Five Wisdoms—a psycho-spiritual understanding of human dynamics, personality, emotions, and relationships.
Visit: FiveWisdomsInstitute.com
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Continue Reading
- Basic Premises of the Five Wisdoms
- Responding versus Reacting
- Karma's Edge
Categories: : Loving Kindness