To love and respect self and others, even in the face of unkindness, disrespect or cruelty is the highest form of self-discipline. Yes, that is my opinion and my experience. It is the most difficult thing I have ever tried to accomplish in my life. The most difficult aspect of this for me is to realize in the moment, when another is projecting some form of negative energy in my direction (I have been particularly sensitive to judgment), that it is actually something they are struggling with.  They own it, not me, unless I react. Then I bring my "baggage" into play. The addition of my unresolved emotional issues adds more confusion and fuel to the fire. When I feel I am resisting, I know I have taken it on.

It's a journey. I've been aware of that for some time. Changing ingrained patterns of thought and action do not usually come with the snap of a finger, that is why tenacity is such an important quality to develop. Catching myself when I am thinking negative thoughts and looking within, to center and balance (come back to love), has been a valuable technique for me. Another helpful technique is what I call the mirror. It is utilizing feedback from others for self-reflection. If something about another angers me, I ask myself if there is any of this same quality in me that I am choosing to deny, ignore or avoid addressing? Sometimes it is a reflection of how I am treating myself. Sometimes it may be an area where I need to develop more confidence in myself and my connection to the source of all life, "God", who "speaks" to me from within. "Speaks" is a loosely defined meaning in this context. It can be a knowing, an intuition, not necessarily words. Sometimes it is a wake up call the I need to establish some "boundaries". "Boundaries to me is a soft word; it is not walls or fences. At this time in my life, it means learning to walk away from situation where loved ones have no intention of ridding themselves of the hatred or fear that they grip and grips them. And then, I keep praying.


"Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." One sentence I intend to learn the meaning of and spend my life living. Included in that "neighbor" is all beings, including enemies. "God" causes the sun to shine on the ripe and unripe alike, on the just and the unjust alike. 

Okay, many words that show love can be substituted for love and still maintain the integrity of the concept (truth). Respect thy neighbor as thyself. Forgive thy neighbor as thyself. Yesterday, I learned to continue treating another with respect, when they are acting in ways that seem disrespectful to me is respecting myself.  These words simply can not do justice to the benefits of the practice. I must treat ALL LIFE with respect if I am to learn to love myself. And what of "God"? "God"is in every cell of all of it, all that is and all that isn't. Can you wrap your mind around that?