Self acceptance and unconditional love
Irini Rockwell 
I find myself inspired to write about self acceptance and the inherent unconditional love that comes from fully embracing who we are. It is in our moments of struggle that we need to remember this the most—and when we find it the hardest to do! It is not surprising then, that I so often refer people to Chapter 13, Embracing Who We Are in my book, The Five Wisdom Energies. Here is the gist:
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 having an 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 stops our struggle. It allows us to appreciate ourselves and our world despite the obstacles. Only when we love ourselves in this unconditional way can we also 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.
In the following posts, we can look more fully at this very powerful word: maitri.
As Trungpa Rinpoche always said, “Good luck, sweetheart.”
Categories: Loving Kindness