The Gift of Self-Acceptance.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.” writes Nelson Mandela. “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

I’ve often wondered what causes people to hate. Specifically, what is that aspect of ‘self’ that is satisfied through the issuance of pain?

I’ve never understood the action, nor the purpose. Though, I see the stories everyday — even the youngest of children are caught in the complicated web work of humanity’s disservice.

We know it’s wrong, yet – how does it come to be? Are we simply lacking the mindfulness to appreciate, to feel, to connect? To understand that the injury we’re causing is actually an injury to self?

“An eye for an eye.” I remember my teacher saying. Though, I was only 8-years-old at the time, I still knew enough to understand — life just couldn’t be this way. Surely within us all, there’s an endless capacity to love?

“Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. ”

But, to do so – requires courage, forcing us to open our hearts, to experience vulnerability in the place of defensiveness.

It is the purest representation of fearlessness. And, it is absolutely paramount to the continuance of peace.

To be vulnerable implies we must reveal our most authentic self; to be potentially misunderstood, or even worse, rejected. It requires, as author Stephen Schwartz shares, “that we be fearless enough to face ourselves, our own concerns, our own hurts, our own woundedness, our own longings, over and over and over again, so that we are fearless enough to face the hurt, the wounds, and the longings of someone else.”

That is the true work to our healing. As, to accept another – we must find acceptance for self.

Is it possible to share love where once there was hate? I believe so, my loves ~ more now, than I’ve ever before. Though, we must be willing to open up to it.

A little something to consider on this day, my loves ~

Namaste and peace to all ❤️

About

Tara Lemieux is a mindful wanderer, and faithful stargazer. Although she often appears to be listening with great care, rest assured she is most certainly‘forever lost in thought. She is an ardent explorer and lover of finding things previously undiscovered or at the very least mostly not-uncovered.

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