Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Center Staff
  • Board of Trustees
  • Services
    • Sunday Services & Meditation
    • Wednesday’s Wisdom
    • Congregational Songs
    • Archived videos on our Youtube Channel
  • Gallery
  • Media
  • Contact Us
Top Menu

Center for Spiritual Living
Center for Spiritual Living
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, know that you are welcome here.
  • Programs
    • Animal Kinship Ministry
    • Circle of Love
    • Coming Home – Awakening To Spirit
    • Community Outreach Programs
    • Jewel Tones Choir
    • New Thought Bookstore
    • Shifting Sands
    • Youth and Family
  • Science of Mind Classes
    • Course Descriptions
    • Current & Upcoming Classes
  • Events & Calendar
  • Prayer Ministry
    • Affirmative Prayer: Career and Creativity
    • Affirmative Prayer: Health
    • Affirmative Prayer: Love and Relationships
    • Affirmative Prayer: Spirituality and Consciousness
    • Affirmative Prayer: Wealth
  • Ministers
  • Give
  • Volunteer
  • Blog
  • Programs
    • Animal Kinship Ministry
    • Circle of Love
    • Coming Home – Awakening To Spirit
    • Community Outreach Programs
    • Jewel Tones Choir
    • New Thought Bookstore
    • Shifting Sands
    • Youth and Family
  • Science of Mind Classes
    • Course Descriptions
    • Current & Upcoming Classes
  • Events & Calendar
  • Prayer Ministry
    • Affirmative Prayer: Career and Creativity
    • Affirmative Prayer: Health
    • Affirmative Prayer: Love and Relationships
    • Affirmative Prayer: Spirituality and Consciousness
    • Affirmative Prayer: Wealth
  • Ministers
  • Give
  • Volunteer
  • Blog

Do you Want to Love Yourself Really?

Whitney Houston sang: “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.”

 Currently Justin Bieber is on the radio with a very snarky song about loving yourself, as in it is a very self-centered, selfish thing to do. To give you a flavor of the song, one line is,

“My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone!” 

 Well which one is it? Is it selfish to love yourself or is it necessary to love yourself? Is it the greatest love or is it the puniest? Is it self-absorbed and narcissistic? Or is it expansive and enlightened?

Perhaps the confusion comes from what is self-love? The original meaning was one of excessive attention to self, but now most of the dictionaries define self-love as looking after one’s well-being. It is seen as positive and desirable. 

Many writers believe that self-love is not a feeling but rather actions that one takes to establish self-worth and well-being. 

I believe that self-love is closely related to self-esteem and self-respect. I agree that if you don’t love yourself, it will be very hard if not impossible to love someone else. When my self-love is solid, I am a good friend. I can take criticism and negativity with greater ease than if I am feeling emotionally fragile.

The aspect of me that gets in the way is my inner critic. You likely have one of your own. The inner critic always makes me feel small and incapable. The most difficulty I have in maintaining my self-love, and staving off the inner critic, is when someone tells me I am not doing a good enough job and I secretly agree with them!

A recent incident catapulted me into rigorous self-inquiry. What am I making this mean? What can I learn about myself and my habits that would help me live  a more self-confident life?

I hear myself saying things I SHOULD have done! With every SHOULD I give away my self-respect. One of my early teachers taught me to change the “should” to COULD. That certainly brings more clarity while maintaining  a shred of dignity. So instead of, “I should have called my Mom.” I could change it to  “I could have called my Mom but something else took precedence.”

I believe it is valuable to do things you are good at. It is valuable take some quiet time for observation and reflection. Self-love does not mean over-spending, over-eating or over-indulging. Those are all kinds of self-contempt.

Now the truth about it is that you and I are made in the image of Spirit, whole complete and perfect in every way. One of my favorite and most-powerful affirmations is four simple statements of Truth: 

“There is only One Life.  That Life is God’s Life. That Life is perfect. That Life is my life now.”

 I think the world would be a much lovelier place in which to live, if we all practiced one act of self-love every day. I stumbled across the following poem which I think is exactly what I am attempting to say. It is by Suzy Kassem, titled “Apply Within.”

You once told me
You wanted to find 
Yourself in the world –
And I told you to
First apply within,
To discover the world
within you.

You once told me
You wanted to save
The world from all its wars –
And I told you to
First save yourself
From the world,
And all the wars
You put yourself
Through.
Share this post

Author: Heather Clark

Recent Blog Posts
  • The FAD3 Fundraiser Concert

    The FAD3 Fundraiser ConcertFriday, January 13, 2023, 7 p.m, Our first event of the NEW YEAR is a Fundraiser Concert given by the FAD3, Dave Friedman, Karyn Allen, and Rick Dale Friday evening, January 13, 2023. This fun evening includes classic Beatles songs performed by the FAD3, live and silent auctions, and carousing with friends…

    January 8, 2023
  • Book Study – The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection

    Beginning Wednesday January 18th, Mary Brogdon will lead a book study based on Michael A. Singer’s bestselling book, The Surrender Experiment. Singer tells the story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual awakening, he decided to give up his personal fears and desires and simply let life unfold before him. From Goodreads: “Spirituality is…

    January 8, 2023
  • Class: Reignite Your Life

    Reignite Your Life: Spiritual Principles & Practicesthat will move you in the direction of your intentions with Rev. Alice Reid CHANGE YOUR THINKING, CHANGE YOUR HEART, CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Are you ready to discover your emerging direction and purpose and how to make it happen? Join us for 5 weeks of self-discovery and revelation. Classes…

    January 8, 2023
  • Christmas Eve Candlelighting Service

    Return of the Light Christmas Eve marks the return of the light. Winter has arrived, the longest night has passed, and finally light begins to return. Life and wisdom are illuminated, newness abounds. Join as we welcome the Return of the Light, Saturday December 24th. Caroling: 4:45 p.m.Service: 5:00 p.m.

    December 6, 2022
  • Annual Holiday Boutique & Brunch, December 4

    Our annual Holiday Boutique and Brunch is set for December 4, 2022, after the service. Our Center’s artists, artisans, and authors will be offering their work for sale at our annual boutique. We have a number of professional photographers, graphic artists, fiber artists, and authors in our community. Here is your chance to do a…

    November 16, 2022
  • Thanksgiving Eve Taizé Wednesday November 23

    Remembering What’s Important Gather with your spiritual family Wednesday November 23 for a special Taizé service. We will hear readings on the importance of giving thanks. We’ll quietly contemplate gratitude in our own lives. And we will chant as one. Date: November 23, 2022Time: 7 – 8 p.m.Where: In person only, at the Center.Notes: No…

    November 16, 2022
Categories
  • Blog
  • Classes
  • Events
Tags
Affirmation Affirmative Prayer Audio blog center for spiritual living capistrano valley creativity Darin McClure Darin McClure Dr. Heather Clark Dr. Heather Clark Ernest Holmes Forgiveness gratitude gratitude Jason Silva Joyous Living Journal Joyous Living Journal Juli Isola Juli Isola Lisa McClure Lisa McClure Love Love Meditation meditation Music Oneness Parenting Quotes Rev. Dr. Heather Clark Rev. Dr. Heather Clark Rev. Karyn Allen Rev. Pattie Mercado Rev. Pattie Mercado Science of Mind September Warren September Warren spiritual growth Sunday Service Sunday Service Vidette Vanderweide Vidette Vanderweide Wednesday Wisdom Wednesday Wisdom Youtube
Contact Us
Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley
1201 Puerta Del Sol
Suite 100 San Clemente, California 92673

Phone: 949-240-6463

Other contact options

Volunteers: Please check your assignment schedules here.

Latest Tweets
  • https://t.co/V9ThIgDYHn #meditation #SanClemente #CenterforSpiritualLiving #CapistranoValley https://t.co/uQaXkilvvf3 days ago
  • https://t.co/ntd6y49CHo https://t.co/p2YlbiLr6r https://t.co/l0p2pY2KW06 days ago
  • Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. https://t.co/STFYDxtZrD12 days ago
  • https://t.co/iHSlx2NAVM https://t.co/A1ACZfLjuQ https://t.co/2MV6ewfWC013 days ago
  • Tonight, at the Center, 7 p.m.! 1201 Puerta del Sol, First Floor, San Clemente, CA https://t.co/Th77lGtmAr15 days ago
  • 1201 Puerta del Sol, San Clemente https://t.co/KWwM5idgrE17 days ago
Latest Facebook Update

Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley

Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley

www.cslcv.org#meditation #sanclemente #CenterforSpiritualLiving #CapistranoValley

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Center for Spiritual Living
© Copyright Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley