Self LOVE…and LIFE

I have written many posts where I  shared my thoughts about self love and how this can really CHANGE a life! I have written many quotes by Louise Hay who spent decades talking about this very thing right up to her death at 90.  Self love certainly changed my life when I finally accepted the truth of it all as I was awakening to spiritual truths about the Universe AND my life.

I began the process of allowing my mind to CONVINCE my brain and hence my body to accept the love. I was in desperate need of healing.  Of course there is more to the whole story, but I still believe that self love was one of the KEYS to my healing and hence LIFE for me. The other KEY was SURRENDER.

Last week I was reading a shared poem from Facebook shared by one of the Instructors for The Reconnection. I totally LOVED the poem and I was convinced I needed to find it, print it out and put it in front of me every day. The poem was THAT good…as far as I am concerned, it was a masterpiece. I hand copied the poem off of that post, but I wanted to find out more.

I started with the information in the shared post that said Charlie Chaplin had written the poem at age 26, but released it for his 70th birthday. (April 16, 1959) I was surprised anyone could have written such a masterpiece at age 26, but I did begin to read about his very difficult childhood and life as I researched information about him. This photo is not at all what we picture in our heads about Charlie Chaplin, but who really knew him at 26! Who actually knew what lived inside of his heart.

THEN…when I googled to find the poem searching under Charlie Chaplin, whoa…what a plethora of posts appeared. Most took me to people that have used his poems on their websites and written their own books on the topic. Most were agreeing that he composed this poem for his 70th birthday, not at 26. But, I found so many different VERSIONS of this poem it got me to wondering which one was the true one? Oh the joys of the internet…who is right about WHAT?

And then I came across another website with an article written by a woman who says that Charlie Chaplin never wrote that poem even though it has been circulating since 1959! She included a letter… I LOVE a true mystery!

‘Dear Joanne,

There is a text circulating in many different languages called ‘When I loved myself enough’ supposedly written by Charlie Chaplin. The Chaplin office receives many enquiries about this text every year requesting permission to publish them. This text was NOT WRITTEN BY Charlie Chaplin. ‘When I love myself enough’ comes from a book called ‘When I Love Myself Enough’ by Kim and Alison McMillen.

Kind Regards’ Chaplin’s Office Manager

This book was published on Nov. 10, 2001. But, the poem was said to be handed down from mother to daughter when it was published. And, the poem is much shorter than the one that is quoted now by Charlie Chaplin…in its many versions. It was also said that the mother, Kim McMillen, hand wrote this poem out and gave it to people during her life. Did she somehow give it to Charlie Chaplin? I looked up the book and of course I simply needed to order it. I find it fascinating that it has an endorsement by Deepak Chopra!

All of this reminds me of how the Bible has been written, changed throughout the centuries, and now we have so many versions of the Bible worldwide, who knows what might be accurate?And what painting of Jesus actually portrays him as he lived?!

BUT, no matter who wrote this poem, I hope you will take in the incredible words. I hope you dissect it for yourself! There is SO much in it that helps us live in this human body as a spiritual being! We are LOVE, we are LIGHT, and we are DIVINE BEINGS experiencing life in human form. The unconditional love of GOD lives within us all. We simply need to find it! I shared my own favorite version of this beautiful poem.

Love Myself Poem ~ by…

As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself, I understood how much it can offend somebody. If I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me, today I call this “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself, I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call this “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself, I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens
at exactly the right moment. So, I could be calm. Today I call this “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself, I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health; food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do that make my heart cheer. I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I know it is “LOVE of ONESELF.”

As I began to love myself, I quit trying to always be right, ever since
I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself, I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now I only live for the moment where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself, I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing, new worlds are born. Today I know; “THIS IS “LIFE!”