Love Yourself

The Longing to Be Loved

The Longing to Be Loved

Longing To Love by Genevieve Gerard

This article is part of my ongoing Series on Love.

As we enter the new year I have been thinking about the need for Love.

Longing for Love seems to be a common denominator of the human experience.

Have you ever wondered why love is so important?  Have you ever thought life would be a whole lot easier if you had never loved?  Have you ever wished that you did not have this deep need bursting inside of you to give love and the even more troublesome need to receive love?

Love seems to be an inconvenient essential in life.  Ironically, love is both the source of life’s greatest joys and life’s most profound sorrows.

Somehow, mystically and almost magically, learning to love is woven into the very fabric of life.  Both the urge to love and the heart-wrenching need to be loved can be inescapable.

Since love seems to be so essential in life, you might think it should not be the source of so much confusion and pain.  Since the need to love another and the need to be loved is so prevalent, you might think love would be easy to give, and easy to receive.  After all, love is something we all need and all long to give.

The Life Lesson of LOVE

Why, I have often asked myself as a counselor and life coach, is it so hard for people to learn how to love, and why is it so hard for people to let themselves receive love?  As I ponder this question, I am aware that I have come to believe that learning about love is one of the essential lessons of life.

As I say these words, I must clarify that I mean that love is much more than a life lesson, I mean that it is THE life lesson.  I believe it is the lesson life was created to learn.

The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence.
                      – Dalai Lama

Our world, our bodies, our life, is the simultaneous merging of what is material and temporal with what is eternal and spiritual; Love is what brings these two very diverse worlds together.  Part of the life lesson of love is learning what and how to love.  Confusing these issues is easy.

You must remember to love people and use things, rather than to love things and use people.
               –  Archbishop, Futon Sheen

The more I ponder and consider the meaning of life and my own life’s purpose I am aware that learning to love is the lesson we all are exploring in our life adventure.  The way we learn to love may be unique to each individual, but the theme expressed throughout a myriad of manifestations is consistent.

The future success of humanity is dependent upon love winning, we all, you and me, must learn to love.  Love is the underpinning for guiding and directing Right Human Relationships.  Love is more than the passionate emotions of longing and attachment that are often ascribed to it.

Love Can Be the Answer to All Life’s Questions

Love ironically can serve as the guide by which you can answer most if not all of life’s questions.  Since learning the lessons of Love seem to be the motivation behind life’s varied experiences I would like to suggest a little question I often asked myself when facing a decision.  That question is:

How is Love best served in this situation?

It is not a simple answer.  To give in and give someone what they want may not serve Love.  This is a lesson that any family member of someone plagued by an addiction of any kind has needed to learn.

Love is not best served when you harm yourself in the name of Love.  That is not Love.  That is not what love requires of you.  And, most importantly, that is not how you love unconditionally.

Misconceptions About Love

The Media and a multitude of “chick flicks” and romance novels propagate a lot of misinformation about Love.  What may make a good drama because it accurately reflects the pain and pathos of emotions is not the guide for how love is best served in life.

These illusions and glamours about love lead to lots of heart-brake and heart-ache as you strive to make Love into what it is not to meet these fantasy images.  That leads to a profound misunderstanding about the nature of love.  That misconception is that “Love Hurts.”

It is not Love that hurts.  It is unmet and unfulfilled expectations that hurt.  Again, I state, it is not Love that hurts.  It is actually the failure to Love that hurts.

To learn what Love is is essential.  However, it is of as much importance to learn what is Not Love.

This is particularly difficult when the person creating harm to you or pain in your life tells you that they love you.  It is important to understand what is not love, in order to free yourself from those who use the need to love and be loved as the basis for manipulating and harming you.  This false identification of love is sadly the most significant abuse of the innate desire to love and be loved.  It has left a string of broken hearts and broken lives across the planet.

Loving Yourself

Freeing Love from the illusions and misunderstandings that are often sold in the world as love requires understanding how to Love Yourself.

When you answer the question “How is Love Best Served?” loving yourself must also be considered.

Loving Yourself is an important life decision and an essential spiritual decision.  The result of the illusions and delusions about love that media’s misinformation campaign has created is that you are tempted and encouraged to accept abuse and pain in the name of love.  It is essential to discriminate and understand that criticism and abuse are not love.

Self-sacrifice is not noble.  Allowing yourself to be harmed is against what Love means. Part of Loving yourself is creating boundaries and honoring yourself.

Balancing what is right to give in a situation with the self-respect and honoring yourself is what loving demands.  It is the background against which learning to Love is played.

Sometimes giving someone what they want is not loving.  Sometimes is not even helpful when you consider the whole situation.  Woven into the answer to the question of “How is Loved Best Served?” is the awareness of the long-term implications of a situation, and the unintended consequences that can happen when you do not consider self-respect and harmlessness as part of the decision that is important.

This merging of the consideration of how Love is best served is stated eloquently by Shakespeare in Hamlet, Act 1 scene 78-82:

“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

Loving yourself, being true to yourself, taking care of yourself are all important parts of learning to love.  Not only learning to love yourself, but learning to love another.

The Longing to Be Loved & Give Love

The longing to be loved and the deep longing to give love are part of human nature.  Yet, the yearning to give love and express love is also a part of your Soul’s nature.  This makes Love both unique and important because it is in loving that your material and animal nature needs and desires can also express your Spiritual essence.

It is in this blending of your Soul (your Divine Spark) and your Personality (your body, emotions, and mind) that happens when you love another or are loved that a miracle happens.  That miracle is that something that is eternal is created in your temporal and material life.
                        – Genevieve Gerard

Love becomes the bridge in consciousness that opens you to the life of your Soul, whose nature is love and whose very essence is Love.

Love is what makes life worth living.  It is the core of personal joy and the essence of all meaningful relationships from friends to lovers.

Learning to Love weaves together in a fantastic life tapestry two essential lessons that make life work.  One is how to love yourself, and the other is how to love another.  In those lessons, you learn to express your dual nature as a human being and your Spiritual nature as a spark of Divine Light. Ponder on this.

 

Namaste,

   Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on all that you do!

 

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© 2017-2018 Genevieve Gerard and Touch of the Soul LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Love Yourself First

Love Yourself First

Read "Love Yourself First" Super Serenity Sunday article by Genevieve Gerard

It is one of the great mysteries of life that in order to love others, it is essential to love yourself first.

I have often thought it was interesting that when Jesus, in his role of Rabbi and teacher, considered self-love as a basic element in life he taught that the most important law was to Love God with all of your heart, your mind and your Soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

What good is loving thy neighbor as thy self, if you don’t love thyself?
        – Donald L. Hicks

This famous teaching assumes as self-evident that you love yourself. Unfortunately, in my many years of counseling people and coaching them to live happier and more fulfilling lives, I observed that self-love is far from self-evident.

For many, the idea of loving yourself is challenging. It is not a basic part of self-evident consciousness as it may have been when Jesus walked the earth. It falls into the same category as forgiving yourself. For some reason many of us find it easier to give than to receive, loving yourself, forgiving yourself, being gentle and compassionate with yourself is something we need to learn.

Although this is logically counterintuitive it is a result of societal training and pressures that get confused as we strive to be and become what we are told that we should be. Unfortunately, this is most often seen in women who have been reinforced and rewarded by how self-effacing and self-sacrificing they can be.

Many lessons that are passed through the traditions from Mother to daughter do not consider or understand how harmful and damaging they can be. These are often subtle and specific but when accumulated, result in a message that is toxic and damaging. It is not that there is the intention to harm or limit the full expression of success and joy in the life being molded, but rather, parents are teaching what they were taught without the conscious awareness or consideration of the consequences and the impact of the cumulative effect of these life instructions.

The result is often a belief on the part of the child as they emerge into adult life that to love oneself, to nurture oneself and to let oneself receive, is in some way wrong. The wounding that this wrong teaching and wrong interpretation can result in is so pervasive and so deeply embedded in the myths and culture of our society that to break through to truth is often the most powerful transformation one can do to heal your life and embrace success.

To understand, release and reframe all of the subtle destructive messages that it is wrong to love ourselves and wrong to receive not only love but the vast array of blessings that are available for us is a profound journey that leads to joy, success, and empowerment.

One of the cornerstones of this transformation is learning to love yourself. Inherent in that concept is learning to receive and allowing yourself to receive. Loving yourself and opening yourself to receiving will change your life on so many levels and in so many ways that it may be beyond imagining. The success you can achieve, the joy and happiness you can experience will cascade through your life. As you dissolve the lies and illusions that keep you removed from the freedom of expressing you will enjoy being who you truly are.

Key Elements To Loving Yourself

There are inherent in this journey certain key elements and key experiences that have great significance and have the power to heal you on a very deep and profound level.

The first of these elements is to shed the illusion and reject the lies that you have been taught in favor of a realization of the truth. That truth is that you are an amazing being, a creature of love and joy and this is the natural expression of your being. In coming to the full realization of this truth, it is also an important step to forgive yourself for all the ways you have limited and denied your full power and potential to be all that you were meant to be and all that deep in your heart you knew you could be.

Along with the important act of self-forgiveness comes the act of forgiving those who perpetuated and propagated these untruths and wrong thinking. We can assume that they only taught what they believed or thought was right, handed down through generations. Illusion and lies become embedded in our society.

It takes courage to see the truth and let the truth free you. Forgiveness and even compassion for those who cling to wrong thinking, is a part of affirming and enhancing yourself in this new expression of life as someone who has learned to love themselves and opened themselves to the opportunity to be a being of love.

Forgiveness, both of yourself and those who taught and fostered mistakes and illusion unlocks grace and joy in your life. It is in these acts and affirmations of forgiveness that you begin to demonstrate what it means to not only love yourself but how that self-love results in love and compassion for others.

It is by loving yourself, and honoring yourself, that you manifest your true power and potential as a child of God.
        – Genevieve Gerard

You are an amazing being. You deserve to be loved, not only by yourself but also by others. You are a spark of Divine Light.

Open Yourself To The Energy Of Divine Love & The Love That Your Soul Brings To You with my Gift of Love Meditation MP3.

Learn more about the Gift of Love Meditation by Genevieve Gerard

Here are some simple affirmations you can incorporate into your daily practice to allow this important principle of Self Love to manifest in your life. It is best if you can do these quick simple affirmations three times a day, perhaps in the morning as you do your morning rituals, once more during the day, then again as you cleanse and prepare yourself for sleep.

Love Affirmation

Look in the mirror and affirm the following:

  1. I Love myself
  2. I deserve to be loved exactly as I am
  3. I am worthy of being loved
  4. I give my love generously
  5. I accept the love of others appreciatively
  6. I delight in who I am becoming.
  7. I am a beautiful, successful, joy filled being
  8. I open myself to the love that surrounds me and gather it into my heart to support and strengthen me.

[NOTE: Some people prefer typing these affirmations on a small piece of paper that they stick on the upper corner of their bathroom mirror.]

               – GenevieveGerard.com

 

Affirmations are a powerful tool to healing and transforming your life. When I have had my coaching clients add these affirmations to their life practice, their life begins to change, especially their relationships with others and themselves.

To come into the present, freed and unfettered by the past is opening your life to unlimited possibility. This is available to you through the healing power of your Soul and the enlightened embrace of your will as you affirm and accept that you have the power, the promise and the intention to love yourself and open yourself to the many joys and blessings that are available to you for the taking.

The timeless dance of giving and receiving, loving and being loved is before you. Celebrate and enjoy all that comes to you. Your Soul knows the real truth; your heart knows the truth.

Ponder on this. You deserve it.

To Love Yourself is one of the Greatest Gifts, begin right now to give that gift to yourself.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on All that you Do!

 

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Last updated 11-17-2019

 

Genevieve - Soulful

 

About the author:
Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”

Read more details…

Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.

Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.”  Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.

Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.

In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.

It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.

Browse her life story and read the Touch of the Soul that changed her world. To contact Genevieve, visit her keep in touch page.

 

Copyright © 2014-2019 Genevieve Gerard and Touch of the Soul LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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The Greatest Love

The Greatest Love Is To Love Yourself

To Love Yourself Is The Greatest Love - Genevieve Gerard

It is one of the great mysteries of life that in order to love others, it is essential to love yourself.

I have often thought it was interesting that Jesus, in his role of Rabbi and teacher, considered self-love as a basic element in life when he taught that the most important law was to Love God with all of your heart, your mind, and your Soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This famous teaching assumes as self-evident that you love yourself.

Unfortunately, in my many years of counseling people and coaching them to live happier and more fulfilling lives, I observed that self-love is far from self-evident.

For many, the idea of loving yourself is challenging. It is not a basic part of self-evident consciousness as it may have been when Jesus walked the earth. It falls into the same category as forgiving yourself. For some reason many of us find it easier to give than to receive, loving yourself, forgiving yourself, being gentle and compassionate with yourself is something we need to learn.

Although this is logically counter-intuitive it is a result of societal training and pressures that get confused as we strive to be and become what we are told that we should be. Unfortunately, this is most often seen in woman who have been reinforced and rewarded by how self-effacing and self-sacrificing they can be. Many lessons that are passed through the traditions from Mother to daughter do not consider or understand how harmful and damaging they can be. These are often subtle and specific but when accumulated, result in a message that is toxic and damaging. It is not that there is the intention to harm or limit the full expression of success and joy in the life being molded, but rather, parents are teaching what they were taught without the conscious awareness or consideration of the consequences and the impact of the cumulative effect of these life instructions.

The result is often a belief on the part of the child as they emerge into adult life that to love oneself, to nurture oneself and to let oneself receive is in some way wrong. The wounding that this wrong teaching and wrong interpretation can result in is so pervasive and so deeply embedded in the myths and culture of our society that to break through to truth is often the most powerful transformation one can do to heal your life and embrace success. To understand, release and reframe all of the subtle destructive messages that it is wrong to love ourselves and wrong to receive not only love but the vast array of blessings that are available for us is a profound journey that leads to joy, success, and empowerment.

One of the cornerstones of this transformation is learning to love yourself. Inherent in that concept is learning to receive and allowing yourself to receive. Loving yourself and opening yourself to receiving will change your life on so many levels and in so many ways that it may be beyond imagining. The success you can achieve, the joy and happiness you can experience will cascade through your life. As you dissolve the lies and illusions that keep you removed from the freedom of expressing you will enjoy being who you truly are.

There are inherent in this journey certain key elements and key experiences that have great significance and have the power to heal you on very deep and profound level. The first of these elements is to shed the illusion and reject the lies that you have been taught in favor of a realization of the truth. That truth is that you are an amazing being, a creature of love and joy and this is the natural expression of your being. In coming to the full realization of this truth, it is also an important step to forgive yourself for all the ways you have limited and denied your full power and potential to be all that you were meant to be and all that deep in your heart you knew you could be.

Along with the important act of self-forgiveness comes the act of forgiving those who perpetuated and propagated these untruths and wrong thinking. We can assume that they only taught what they believed or thought was right, handed down through generations. Illusion and lies become embedded in our society. It takes courage to see the truth and let the truth free you. Forgiveness and even compassion for those who cling to wrong thinking is a part of affirming and enhancing yourself in this new expression of life as someone who has learned to love themselves and open themselves to the opportunity to be a being of love. Forgiveness, both of yourself and those who taught and fostered mistakes and illusion unlocks grace and joy in your life. It is in these acts and affirmations of forgiveness that you begin to demonstrate what it means to not only love yourself but how that self-love results in love and compassion for others.

You are an amazing being. You deserve to be loved, not only by yourself but also by others. You are a spark of Divine Light. It is by loving yourself, honoring yourself that you manifest your true power and potential as a child of God.

Discover how to use affirmations effectively and attract abundance in your life when you
download our FREE MP3: How To Use Affirmations Effectively.

Here are some simple affirmations you can incorporate into your daily practice to allow this important principle of Self Love to manifest in your life. It is best if you can do these quick simple affirmations three times a day, perhaps in the morning as you do your morning rituals, once more during the day, then again as you cleanse and prepare yourself for sleep.

Look in the mirror and affirm the following:

  1. I Love myself
  2. I deserve to be loved exactly as I am
  3. I am worthy of being loved
  4. I give my love generously
  5. I accept the love of others appreciatively
  6. I delight in who I am becoming.
  7. I am a beautiful, successful joy filled being
  8. I open myself to the love that surrounds me and gather it into my heart to support and strengthen me.

[NOTE: Some people prefer typing these affirmations on a small piece of paper that they stick on the upper corner of their bathroom mirror.]

Affirmations are a powerful tool to healing and transforming your life. When I have had my coaching clients add these affirmations to their life practice, their life begins to change, especially their relationships with others.

To come into the present, freed and unfettered by the past is opening your life to unlimited possibility. This is available to you through the healing power of your Soul and the enlightened embrace of your will as you affirm and accept that you have the power, the promise and the intention to love yourself and open yourself to the many joys and blessings that are available to you for the taking.

The timeless dance of giving and receiving, loving and being loved is before you. Celebrate and enjoy all that comes to you. Your Soul knows the real truth; your heart knows the truth.

Ponder on this. You deserve it.

To Love Yourself is the Greatest Gift, begin right now to give that gift to yourself.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on All that you Do!

 

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Copyright © 2014 Genevieve Gerard and Touch of the Soul LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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