Recently I wrote about the loyalty I have for the people around me and for my country based on social conditioning.
Today, I was contemplating on whether I can shift my loyalty elsewhere.
There is nothing wrong with me being loyal. I think it is a great asset and a wonderful quality in a person. It is also rare, I think.
We are made of energy. Energy is constantly in motion. E = mc2. Where we focus our energy where our consciousness goes with it. If we are unaware and blindly follow our social conditioning, we end up where the majorly is, no matter how much we disagree with it mentally.
My sense of loyalty is guided by my social conditioning. I am loyal to people who hurt me because I was told that true loyalty is with the people who raised you, and with the country who ‘birthed’ you. (See my blogpost on this topic here, CLICK)
It is not true.
Loyalty is a Soul-quality.
To me, LOYALTY means to be True to MYSELF and what matters the most. And what matters the most is My- Self, my-evolution, my-enlightenment, emergence of my Soul-Essence.
These days we talk a lot about SELF-LOVE. But what does it actually mean? How do you practically love yourself?
I hear people claim that they love themselves by cooking a healthy meal and make a candle-lit dinner of it or having a replenishing bath. I can attest that they both add positively to the quality of my life, but I do not particularly feel loved by either of them.
As a result of my loyalty-wobble I took a hard look at the ways I tend NOT to love myself. I don’t love myself when I say YES though I mean NO. I don’t love myself when I try to explain myself because I want the other person to ‘get’ me. I don’t love myself when I accommodate others’ needs but neglect my own. I don’t love myself when I put up with abusive behaviour because I want to avoid conflicts. Sounds familiar?
So, how is it when I actually do love myself?
I stay TRUE TO MYSELF. Well, it is often not as dramatic as walking out …
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays
It simply means that I look at the situation sincerely. Every situation I find myself in reflects me. I listen to the words being uttered, I look at behaviours, I observe how I feel. I notice if I am in reaction with anything happening around me or if I am controlling or protecting. I look for signs if I am ‘myself’ or not.
I LOVE MYSELF by not reacting. People just do what they do regardless of what I think is right or just. When I am in reaction, I engage in the same energy I do not like so I generate it. I love myself by keeping my energy ‘up’. Yes, I do my best to surround myself with nice people who appreciate me but it is not always possible. Nevertheless, it is my responsibility to feel good about myself no matter what.
When I am TRUE TO MYSELF, I am calm and honest. I am neither pleasing, nor act superior. I am observant and thoughtful. Simply, my job is to keep on re-aligning myself with MYSELF. I am not in reaction because what’s going on does not resonate with me any more.
As I embrace myself just as I am, I am TRUE TO MYSELF.
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
The video talks about the controversial topic of transgender transition. I invite you to watch this video as an inspiring example of becoming TRUE to ONESELF, no matter what!
This lovely video talks about ‘self image’ and how a false image hinders us in staying TRUE to SELF.
