The Order of Love
“If I love myself, I love you. If I love you, I love myself.” – Rumi
In hearing Rumi state this in his poetry, I immediately think of the order in which it was written:
I…love…myself…I…love…you.
I…Myself…You.
There’s no other image reflecting in the mirror but the one of you, therefore the reflection is all yours to consider. Put yourself first and all falls into place. If you love yourself, do for yourself, take care of yourself, live for yourself, then you automatically offer the benefits reaped to the next person, to the world.
Recently, I was chatting with a friend and mentioned I would soon be heading out for a girl’s night out. She later said in conversation,”You know, I wish I could do that,” and confided in me about her desire to have more time for herself, to express herself, time for friends, for new experiences, for joy, all on her own. This sentiment is nothing unique to her. Many people go through this and it all boils down to a personal choice. What you decide you can and want to do in your life is your choice and no one else’s. It’s your call to let someone else make you believe you don’t have a choice in the matter, that you are powerless and must be granted permission to live. No one hinders you from your own joy except yourself. We struggle to please others, to remain obedient and not rock the boat when the opposite is far from disobedience but rather simple pleasures we all deserve to have, to experience, to gather and store in our heart’s memory for later recollection. Is there such a thing as selfish love? Love is pure and true, so when you are simply seeking to be pure and true to yourself, an endeavor that requires your time, energy and attention, what harm does it bring to others or to you? It doesn’t. Ever.
How often do you allow others to impose guilt on you, thus negatively affecting your plans for living? Why do you permit such feelings to permeate your spirit, to grip your anxious wings and hold you down from naturally taking flight? The reasons and excuses aren’t good enough. You deserve to be happy, to be free, to be you, to savor the joys of life, to have friends, to laugh and be carefree, to feel the sense of what it means to be supported and loved. Schedule time for yourself and defend your need for it. There’s nothing to explain, nothing to feel bad about. You were born free-thinking, a free-spirit, and that won’t change. You are free to be whoever you were born to be. Get out of your own way and others will, too.
Experience joy and without effort, you will spread it. The effects of self-love are of epidemic proportions.
To enjoy the full poem read by Demi Moore, click here Rumi – Desire – Demi
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