How to Know that You are Worthy

It seems to take us forever: years of reading books, counseling, workshops, hypnosis and spiritual development before we begin to appreciate that underpinning everything is finding out how to love our self. We have this sense that if we do enough inner work, we will find that nugget of gold, hidden deeply within our body/mind/soul.Then, we will feel worthy.

We know that body and mind are not separable. Our cells hold memory, our DNA can be influenced, neurosurgeons have not found our mind in the brain and we are told that soul is within and yet it can travel anywhere. So, the question remains,who are we really?

You and I have essence, a higher self. We all have experienced the presence of the beloved in the eyes of babies, a hummingbird or the words of a song. In my experience, these are soulful moments. Soul is expressed softly through our heart. It is not insistent but is persistent. It penetrates deeply and offers a gentle opening to high-ness.

This is piece I wrote in my journal, following a meditative experience, hints at what/who we are:

I float in grace, eyes closed to limitation, exquisitely aware-how light is your touch, how deep your reach. I am in you too. We cannot separate the parts. Who can remove joy from love? The essence and presence are peace, are one.

Okay, you are worthy (as Oprah has said!) because you are here. You and I each have the same ability to shine. I’m not talking about making a lot of money. I am reminded of a lady I once met who had brain cancer. I asked her what she hoped for the most; her answer: “Just to wake up every morning”.

We may recognize our worthiness through the gratefulness of others for our friendship, your generous heart that many others were rewarded with, your ongoing devotion to something such as singing in a choir, loving the children you babysit, taking care not to hurt others, volunteering,  giving your best in whatever you do.

I believe that we can find a myriad of ways to love who we are, even though it may take a little thought. And, it can be as simple as thought. Think about your innate innocence; think about your desire to love and be loved; consider your ability to give- a kind word, recognition and acceptance to someone who has not received it for a long time and simply being there to hold a heart in your hand.

If you have breath, you have a light that shines within. Your light is valuable, you are invaluable … capable of loving and being loved. Our time always comes but if we are too busy counting what we don’t have, we may miss the biggest gift of all-the recognition of what we have to give.