Self-love is Badass.

For years, I tried to understand people's advice to love my neighbor like myself, although they often meant it the other way around.

I found it baffling that some unfathomable notion called self-love might be the key to my fame, fortune, and happiness.

The other day, I finally pieced it together.

Here's the story.

We all face procrastination, failure to execute, discouragement, not saying no when we should.

If self-love is indeed the answer, shall I love myself or my next-door neighbor like I love my children, siblings, parents, or spouse? Now, that might get me in real trouble real soon.

Love seems impossible to track, quantify, or even order, and what about the people who might have no self-love? Can they be doomed to misery?

What was the memo, that I didn’t get?

The command to love our neighbors like ourselves is not an equality of outcome or opportunity; it is an equality of intent.

I've learned since while studying trauma that self-love is an introject; it is the behavior of loving and nurturing parents that a baby imitates and that eventually becomes part of the child's personality.

So, to love one's neighbor as we love ourselves is not an invitation to share our marbles equally; it's an invitation to love one's neighbor as our mother loved us. That is …, well, I already said it.

I’d love to know your perspective.

Cheers,

Joel