To your own self be true.

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Bullying has become of problem of epidemic proportion.  It is present in our schools, our neighborhoods, and in the work place.  It is perpetuated by the young, the old, the rich, the poor, and in my estimation the ignorant.  You see, bullying is a learned behavior.  It is not something that comes naturally to humans, as the natural emotional state of humans should be love and understanding.  Bullying is almost always a mask for a much deeper problem amongst those who display this behavior.  That problem is a loss of personal control, a lack of self-esteem, and a lack of self-love.

Why is self-love so important?  Without it, you will never be able to be the person you were intended to be, nor will you be able to accomplish those things you were intended to accomplish in this life.  As Eckhart Tolle says, "Power over others is weakness disguised as strength."  Bullies might think they have everything, but in actuality they have very little. Bullies attempt to steal from others, stealing their self-respect, their self-esteem, and in many cases their self-love.  If one is going to stand up against a bully then they are going to have to know who they are, what they are, and in almost every case allow themselves to be true to who they are.

So that being said, the next logical question is:  how do I remain true to myself?  How do I begin to love who I am, especially when so many things seem to be against me?  How do I look past the surface and discover those things that are deep within?  These are all great questions and the answers, although at times difficult to comprehend, will become real to you if you will simply open up to your true self.

So what is your true self?  Well first let me tell you what it isn't.  It isn't what others may say or think about you.  The picture that others may paint of you is often very misleading because they have no idea what you have been placed here to do in this life, nor what you may have gone through in life.  People often form opinions of others based on information that has been obtained from every other outlet accept from the source itself.  People hear things and it becomes edged in stone.  Foolish yes, but it happens all to often.  Your true self is a magnificent being, capable of all types of splendid feats, and able to feel and comprehend the greatness that resides inside of you.

I have tried to be someone I'm not, only to have it blow up in my face.  I've tried to fit in, when all I wanted to do was escape the nonsense of the day because I simply knew I was not being me.  I have allowed myself in the past to morph into something that I was not, simply to feel better about myself. All that did was make me feel worse because I knew I was not being true to myself. When you are not able to be true to self, then it is almost impossible to love yourself, and if you are lacking in self-love, then you will never be able to accomplish those things that you hold most dear.

My dear friends it all starts by recognizing that you were a product of love, and in that love you have been given a great gift.  The gift of being able to walk in your destiny, and change the direction or the course of events, to make this world a better place.  It doesn't matter if your destiny only affects one person, or a whole country.  The point is your destiny is what you were created for, and only you can fulfill it.  If you were not loved by the Creator, why would you be here right now?  If you were not sheer perfection how could you be here right now?  If you were never meant to be, then explain to me why you are present, and why do you have this feeling that there is more to life then what others have lead on to?  I cannot fulfill your destiny, just as you cannot fulfill mine.  That being said, we can both be instrumental in seeing that each of us fulfills our own destiny.

You never have to measure up to anyone else's expectations.  The only thing you have to measure up to is your willingness to accept who you are, what you are, and what you were placed here to do.  The only thing you have to do is be the real you, the authentic you, the unique you.

Self-love is so misunderstood, because most people have a warped view of love in the first place.  Self-love is just accepting that you one of a kind.  No one was ever intended to fill your shoes, or do the things you are supposed to do.  Self-love is not conceit, it is not false humility, and it certainly is not pride.  Prideful people, in my estimation, probably discount self-love.  They have enough on their plate trying to maintain a certain status, why would they bother to worry about their true essence anyway.  Pride says "I am good enough" but the good enough is measured against those things that really mean very little.  Things like money, status, home, position, those things that when all is said and done, you can't take with you when you're gone.  The "I'm good enough" needs to come from a place where good enough is based on your loving creator placing you here for a purpose.

Be true to your true calling, your true purpose, your true destiny.  If you can do this you will find that you are immune to many of the catastrophes that are happening all around you.  Be true to self, and self will love you back like nothing you could ever imagine, and once you love you for you, then there is nothing you can't do.