In last night’s class, Transformational Journaling for Personal Growth with Butterfly Journal, we discussed the 11th journal prompt on the topic of love. An important point came up – in understanding love and in living guided by love, it is necessary to love ourselves because when we love ourselves we see more clearly how connected and interconnected we all are. With this understanding it is easy to choose to love others.

The prompt for month 11: What a journey this has been! We have turned within ourselves for deep self-evaluation. We have developed skills and tools to continue to understand ourselves and our relationships with others and the planet. We have begun to reach out into the world with the intentions of compassionate and harmonious interactions. And, with gratitude for everything, for there are things to learn from everything, we are ready to be truly selfless beings: to love.

For the eleventh month, meditate on loving. Love is a truly selfless act, not something to be possessed. When you choose to love, you choose to be kind, generous, compassionate, and caring towards others and the world around you. There are no conditions when you choose to love. Love just is.

Last night I shared a poem, written by Charlie Chaplin, on Self Love, and I’d like to share it here again. It is called: As I Began To Love Myself

As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today I know this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself, I understood how much it can offend somebody.
As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me.                              Today I call it “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself, I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.                                                     Today I call it “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself, I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm.
Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself, I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm.
Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.

As I began to love myself, I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.                                                                             Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

As I began to love myself, I quit trying to always be right, and ever since, I was wrong less of the time.                                                                                                                                      Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself, I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening.                Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself, I recognized that my mind can disturb me, and it can make me sick. But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally.                         Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations, or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!

If you are interested in embarking on your own journey of transformation, you can purchase Butterfly Journal from Amazon (and international stores), or Barnes & Noble.

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