Honor Thyself. This seems like a pretty straightforward concept. Generally, I think of myself as capable of grasping seemingly straightforward concepts fairly and easily, but not this one. This one took some time. There were some fuzzy, fine lines between concepts of self-care, selfishness, selflessness, indulgence, sacrifice, caregiver/caretaker, egoic identity, spirituality, and probably a few others that swam around in what at times might have been a cesspool, contaminating the clarity of my own truth. Much of my life was spent trying to do or be something, e.g., an excellent student, an intelligent woman, a present, a loving mother, a good wife, a caring teacher, a conscious human being etc., etc. In all those years, I was learning and slowly coming to understand and grasp the concept of Honor Thyself. Therein, it also served as a good check-in with humility.
In today’s world of self-development, we often hear concepts and terms, as listed above, and the internal wrestling that we experience with their application. We want to do the “right” thing, the “good” thing, the “wise” thing, the “best” thing in any situation. We read, listen to others talk, recommend, share their expertise, and, of course, look up the latest research and trends. Lots of information, and for most, our decisions will reference something that comes from outside ourselves. Within our cultures, society, and families, we have cultivated distrust in ourselves and given the least attention to our internal resources that align us with an understanding and knowing of how to Honor Ourselves.
However, we are not cursed by this. Like every encounter in Life, it all serves us in some way. At this very moment, we are fully capable of cultivating our thoughts by honing our capacity to listen to ourselves. Reminders are all around, which is what they are, simply to remind us of what we already know. They resonate when we are ready, “ripe”, in that moment to receive. As humans, we tend to take time and practice a lot until we sink into what feels like a perfect fit.
Practice distilling thoughts to those that, in stillness, match the feeling of the “perfect fit,” the ones that resonate and give energy, not those that deplete your energy. It seems quite simple, and it can Be once we have cleaned out the cesspool of all the ways in which our misaligned thoughts have contaminated our clarity. Self-care becomes an honor. Thoughts of selfishness vs. selflessness, indulgence vs. sacrifice, giving vs. taking, egoic identity vs. spirit all dissipate into becoming One with, simply caring for You. The distilling- Stillness is a “free of judgment zone.” Here, self-care is stripped down to the honor in which the practice of living Life in Honor of ThySelf can emerge.
Contrary to some beliefs, this will not separate you from others. In fact, when you Honor Yourself, You Honor All because we are all interconnected. We need not fear reckless abandonment of anything because in the fullness of your Presence, Alignment, and the true meaning of honoring yourself, you have the capacity to encompass and attend to whatever you encounter at any moment.
Today, give your full attention to Honoring Yourself, the real you, in your deepest inner thoughts, feelings, actions, and words. Let it reside in your consciousness upon waking and going to sleep, along with all else you carry in your heart. Within the collective, your awareness and its energy contribute to the greater whole of our evolutionary healing.
