By Terry Ludwig
© 2013 Diversity Rules Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
www.diversityrulesmagazine.com
Terry’s brother Rob died of AIDS in 2004 and left her his writings of which Keep Up Now is the result. Terry can be reached at keepupnow@gmail.com. Check out Terry’s website at: www.terryludwig.net to find out how to manifest happiness and abundance.
I’ve written many columns on relationships because I’ve spent the majority of my life trying to understand them. It’s one thing to know the truth; it’s another to incorporate the knowledge into my life. For me, there seems to be an integration process that happens as a result of being vigilant and being present during this journey. It’s exciting to experience an “aha” moment, but we must be free to incorporate what we’ve learned and integrate the knowledge through experience to allow wisdom to enter. When we’re able to apply what we’ve learned through our words and actions, our life changes in miraculous ways.
My human conditioning, the relationships I had with my parents, siblings, and peers as I embarked on this journey, set the parameters for the expectations I had for my relationships with others, as did yours.
We’ve suffered mental and/or physical abuse during this process, creating a myriad of anxieties we ultimately work through in our special relationships with others. We didn’t ask for ill treatment, we didn’t deserve it; it was simply a process of preparation. These relationships are the training ground for self Love.
When you enter into a relationship with the intention of “finding happiness,” you’re entering with “need,” or “fear”. When you truly love yourself, there is no need, only the desire to share that Love with others. In the end, it is not the relationship with others that define our happiness; it’s our relationship with our Self. You can’t serve two masters. You must choose a side; Love or fear. Until you learn to love yourself, you will not know how to choose Love.
When I first discovered the concept of self Love, I thought, yes, this is true! It made perfect sense. It was one of my “aha” moments. I embarked on the journey of loving myself. After a few days of positive affirmations, looking into the mirror and telling myself “I Love You!”, and making a series of agreements with myself, I figured; I got this! However, I’ve realized it takes more than a few days of affirming good intentions to make a life change. Loving yourself is something you have to practice every single day.
If you remain true to your Self, you’ll never be hurt by other people’s actions or words. You will understand, their words, actions and deeds have nothing to do with you because they are also working out their personal human conditioning and searching to discover their own self Love.
The key is to know how to recognize the signs when you do NOT love yourself, and to do something about it, immediately.
I have become my own true Love; the one I’ve been searching for all of these years, is me. When I’m hurt by another’s actions, my higher Self corrects me with this inner voice:
“Are you cheating on me again? You know I love you. I will always be true to you. I will never hurt you and I will never leave you. Don’t look outside of yourself for Love; I have everything you need, right here. I am the Love you have been searching for. I love you now and forever.”
When I hear my inner voice saying this to me, I am filled with joy, love and gratitude. The hurt I felt immediately disappears. I no longer look outside myself for Love. I’ve grasped the concept of being true to my Self. I am my own true soul mate. I trust my instincts to do what is necessary to honor and be true to my Self. I am the light and the way. I am Love.
Keep up Now ~ with the stream of higher consciousness and stay connected to the Source.
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