Love Yourself

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful...the Best Knower.

I was thinking recently about "love" and "self-esteem", and it occurred to me that most of us have a poorer self-esteem than we realize, or are willing to admit.

How much do we love ourselves? How can we tell if we don't love ourselves enough? WHAT IS "Love"?

Well, we all know that the Best explanation has been given to us by the Hon. Louis Farrakhan in these words: "Love is that Creative Force out of which the Originator created [Himself and] the Universe."

However, I would like to TRY to simplify that explanation, so that we might be able to apply this concept more easily to our own existence.

When we "LOVE" someone, we want what is "BEST" for them, and we want to help them achieve what is "BEST" for them, right? If that is true, then our ABILITY to Love someone depends on our understanding of what is "BEST" for the one we Love. What is BEST for the one we LOVE is totally independent of how we might "FEEL" or "THINK" about him or her. What is BEST for our Loved one(s) is that which the Creator Desires for him or her. This means then that our ability to "LOVE" someone also depends on our ability to move our feelings and opinions out of the way, and to see them as the Creator sees them.

The more we understand what the Creator wants for the one(s) we love, and the more we come into AGREEMENT with what the Creator wants for the one(s) we love, then the more we can LOVE them, or the more we can help them attain that which is BEST for them.

Now, what does this have to do with SELF-ESTEEM?

Try this little experiment.

The next time you find yourself in front of a mirror, look at yourself. Examine your face, your body, your shape. Then look yourself in the eyes and say to yourself, "I Love you, [your name]...I really, really LOVE you."

If you feel the LEAST bit uncomfortable doing this, as if you "have no right to say that" to yourself, then you have a self-esteem problem. How could we have a healthy self-esteem and feel ASHAMED to say "I LOVE YOU" to ourselves? Do the BEST you can to really examine this...be brutally honest about your reaction(s).

Next, try this little experiment using a slightly modified expression. This time, look into the mirror at yourself and say, "I want what is BEST for you, [your name]...I really, really want what is BEST for you."...and see if you feel better about saying it that way. If you do, then you have increased your understanding of what Love really is...wanting what is BEST for the One you love, even if it is your own self...ESPECIALLY if it is your own self.

The next step would be to try to IDENTIFY that which is BEST for you, and then SEEK it out! Prophet Muhammad once said that we cannot be considered Muslim unless we want (seek) for our brother that which we want for ourselves. Well, perhaps it could also be said that we cannot be "Muslim" unless we want (seek) for OURSELVES that which ALLAH wants for US!

Once we have examined and analyzed Self, and once we have been able to IDENTIFY that which is BEST for us, then we have in that same effort begun the Process Accepting our Own, and Being ourselves! Then we can say we are LOVING ourselves!

So, dear Family, I said all that to say..."ask questions and learn all about yourself," ...identify that which is BEST for you, and then SEEK IT OUT.

LOVE YOURSELF.

Your Brother in the Struggle

RM
8-5-05