Shame Dissolved

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to The Voice within yourSelf. 

Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the Unity of all things.

~Dogen Zenji♥ 

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Shame is a warm blanket around the body
Heavy . . . dark . . . encumbering

Shame is a secret knife
embedded in the soul
Silently bleeding life away

Shame is a dark fog
Cloaking the mind

Muffling the heart
From within

Shame is a sweet lie
Learned from others
Accepted as the voice of Self

A voice that says
"My existence is a mistake"
"I don't belong"

It is an old friend
A habit of thinking
Stirring up desires to hide . . .
Compulsions to run to something or someone 
For relief
From self rejection

Self hatred

"Please, save me from myself"

Shame comes calling
Whenever we forget who we are;
When we look outside ourselves for love and value

Oh, Precious One
You are Beloved always

Remember
Remember the seed of Love 
Within you . . .
The seed of Life

You are delightful and beautiful
Always

Be still
Release all that is not Love.
Smile
Rest in your true and perfect self

All is well
All is well

Shame is an illusion . . .
Thought appearing solid
A cloud dissolved 
By the breath of Love

Remember
Look and listen
To the Voice within

All is well
All is well

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to The Voice within yourSelf. 

Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the Unity of all things.

~Dogen Zenji♥ 

Nothing is Personal

Don't Take Anything Personally: 

Nothing others do is because of you. 

What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, 

their own dream. 

When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, 

you won't be the victim of needless suffering. 

♥ Love & Let it Go Always!♥

Not taking something personally, 

does not mean hardening the heart.
It means accepting a person where they are; as they are.

Everything must happen within love and grace.

Toward self

Toward others

My habit throughout life

Has been to feel self loathing

Whenever I've realized I've done "wrong". 

Whenever I've not done as I "should" . . .

not fit into expectations; real or imagined.

Not just after the fact, but during the fact

Whenever I am choosing what I think is not best

Automatic self loathing . . . self punishment.

Here's something I truly believe.

Each of us does our best at any given moment.

Even when it seems a clearly bad decision;

an unkind, unloving action or word . . . 

Even then . . .

There is some reason we feel unable to behave differently.

When I castigate myself for being stupid, unloving, selfish, etc.

I draw myself further from what is right and good.

Withdrawing love from myself

Results in self focus, self pity . . . paralysis

No change for the better.

The truth is . . . I'm punishing myself for being human.

For being a perfectly imperfect human being.

(what else could I be?)

If I, instead, smile at my precious self

With unconditional love

Welcoming the hurt parts of myself

Into conscious acceptance

I am then free to change . . .

To heal

to let go of all that is harmful to me and others

A simple letting go of what I no longer need

or desire

As I love myself in this manner

I am able to love others more fully, as well.

When I smile at your precious, human self

When I lovingly accept all of you,

Not giving into defensiveness and hurt,

you are freed to change

To let go of what is harming you and others.

It is human nature to protect and fight, when attacked.

To hold onto what is threatened.

(even when we really don't want what we're holding!)

The less I threaten you

The less you'll feel a need to defend, explain

and hold onto that which troubles you and others.

Why do I do what I do?

I long for love

I long for freedom

I long to be special

(don't we all?)

I long to be a channel of love to others

These things I know.

When I make choices that do not draw me closer to Love

I am believing some lie

I am trying to manipulate reality 

I'm off track.  

Condemnation from self or others

Only drives me further into the lie.

Love draws me to love.  

Love leads to love.

The only good and true law.

Love.

Love always.