Letting Yourself "Off the Hook"

I once wrote most of the note below to a friend..someone who doesn't think that highly of themselves and who I happen to think is amazing. I wanted to remind them that loving yourself is essential to being able to really love the people in our lives. As I was reading this today I thought about how many of us struggle with this same thing.

 

It seems that this world is a difficult place to "love yourself". To allow this kind of thinking you must work against a current of words and thoughts that want to take you in a completely different direction.

I was thinking about Jesus words "love your neighbor as yourself". I am learning that you cannot give what you do not posess and how loving yourself really does increase your capacity to love others.

Also, you know how you set yourself free when you let go of resentments that you have for others? I have found that the same is true when I let go of resentments for myself...for things I have done or choices I have made. I have learned that embracing my life...my entire life...owning it...being thankful for it...these things are essential steps toward learning to love me. The me God created.

When you let go of resentments that you have held against yourself you essentially have let yourself "off the hook" and in so doing you free yourself up to love, forgive, and accept yourself and those around you in a much greater capacity.

You are an amazing and lovable person...let yourself off the hook and open the door to a new realm of loving.