How do we Love Ourselves, Really LOVE Ourselves?

A reader asked me to write about developing love for ourselves. What a wonderful request. Thank you so much! 

As the great woman sage of our time, Louise Hay says, loving ourselves is the most important thing we can do. All our happiness is ultimately based on this. And as Buddhists we innately understand that the love we feel for ourselves is reflected back at us every moment in the mirror that is our life. 

And Daisaku Ikeda has the key in this quote...facing our weaknesses is the real source of developing self love and mastery: 

The important thing is to firmly fix our gaze on our own weaknesses, not run away from them, but to battle them head-on and establish a solid self that nothing can sway. Hardships forge and polish our lives, so that eventually they shine with brilliant fortune and benefit. If left in its raw, unpolished form, even the most magnificent gem will not sparkle. The same applies to our lives.
From Ikedaquotes.org

For me, learning to love myself has been a life-long endeavor. From earliest memory I experienced shame and depression. I don't know where it came from...it was my karma. It was what I chose to come into this world with...so I could change it and be a Bodhisattva for everyone who is suffering. My motto has always been "If I can do it, I can encourage others."

Of course I knew self-love was one of the most important keys to unlocking this door, but wondered how do I achieve this? How do I turn it from a good idea to reality? How can I experience loving my own self? 

I have used many, many ways to build self-love. I find the solution in my Daimoku and in my body. When I began doing a form of Yoga I released energy that was holding me back. That was a turning point for me. part of the Yoga training I received required us to say to ourselves every night and every morning "I love you _____" to ourselves (Fill in your name here) That was not easy! I did it as faithfully as I could, and it made me realize I still had a lot to change to really believe this.  

Through study of Nichiren Daishonin's Gosho, Daisaku Ikeda's writings, and through my dear SGI friends in faith I embedded in my daimoku the continual prayer to experience life as the Buddha I am...to see myself as the Buddha I am...to love and respect myself as the Buddha I am..to be humble and open to changing in any way to be more aware of my Buddhahood...and to be the most inspiring, glowing Buddha I can be. We are all Buddhahood Rising! I've chanted to strengthen my inner core and to feel the glowing essence of the diamond I am within my life. I do these things so I can help YOU to realize these things within your life. 

We are the Buddha. We are the Diamond. We are strength itself. We are awakening in love for ourselves and love for others...even the difficult ones. They need our prayers. If they were not suffering, they would not make others suffer. We are all walking paths of such honor and respect...chanting for people on our paths...chanting for kosen-rufu, a world of respect for all beings. We are the magnificent Bodhisattvas of the Earth. We have arisen. We can love ourselves JUST AS WE ARE...and continually strive to be better people, to love ourselves and others more. That is our chosen path. It is such an honor to walk it along with you. 

Have wisdom to offer the other 35,000 readers of this blog? Share ways you have come to love and honor yourself please write me at chantforhappiness@gmail.com. You can also email me questions or comments.