“As I Began to Love Myself.” The story goes that Charlie Chaplin wrote this poem on his 70th birthday, April 16th 1959, sixty years ago. I have chanced upon very few self-love poems that have so much wisdom in them. This resonated…

As I worked with a family this week to help resolve hurt and the divisiveness that resulted; to reconnect and communicate from the heart; to show love and respect; to trust ourselves and others; to let go of the past after having acknowledged that it wreaked havoc, to learn from experiences, that now is what we have, and we can focus on rebuilding a better future, I realized how much we internally struggle in our own individual selves which affects our relationships.

If we loved ourselves, led authentic lives, let go more, lived in the moment, and learnt to return to our heart for direction and wisdom, our world would be such a calmer, happier place.

Ask a person who doesn’t have a family, or has lost one over time, what it feels like. Would they have taken them for granted? Would they have held onto anger and hurt or would they have expressed gratitude more?

The last verse is what I want us to remember. Actually, you know what? The whole poem, the whole poem, the whole poem 😊

As I Began to Love Myself

As I began to love myself
I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is Authenticity.

As I began to love myself
I understood how much it can offend somebody
As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right, and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me.
Today I call this Respect.

As I began to love myself
I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call this Maturity.

As I began to love myself
I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment.
So I could be calm.
Today I call this Self-Confidence.

As I began to love myself
I quit stealing my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.
Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness,
Things I love to do and that make my heart cheer,
And I do them in my own way, and in my own rhythm.
Today I call this Simplicity.

As I began to love myself
I freed myself of anything that is not good for my health – food, people, things, situations,
And everything that drew me down, and away from myself.
At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.
Today I know it is Love of Oneself.

As I began to love myself
I quit trying to always be right, and ever since
I was wrong less of the time.
Today I discovered that is Modesty.

As I began to love myself, I refused to go on living in the past, and worrying about the future.
Now, I only live for the moment, where everything is happening.
Today I live each day, day by day,
and I call it Fulfilment.

As I began to love myself
I recognized that my mind can disturb me, and it can make me sick.
But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally.
Today I call this connection Wisdom of the Heart.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others.
Even stars collide, and out of their crashing, new worlds are born.
Today I know: This is Life!