The Spiritual Basis Of Self Esteem

i'm such a lucky dog!

today i have been blessed by many via openess, honesty, willingness, love and acceptance. who could ask for anything more? for the dear friends who have written to me today or taken time to share here, my heart is grateful.

when i logged on this site yesterday late afternoon, i read many, many messages. i sensed a storm brewing within my spirit, an uneasiness and when i sense this, it's good for me to get quiet...give myself some time to reflect and get in tune with what bothers me and look for a positive solution.

a dear friend sent me a book a few months ago. she lives in michigan where one of my favorite spiritual teachers has a church. this teacher, marianne williamson, has shared her message of love through many of her books, seminars, interviews, church sermons, acim, etc. i adore ms. williamson's message and my friend knew this. my friend even stood in line for 2 hours to have ms. williamson autograph her latest book for me!

so last night after loggin off, i grabbed my copy of mw's latest book, the gift of change and thumbed through the pages. the book then fell open to page 32 and on it i read the solution, which i share below. i read what i knew to be true in my heart of hearts and i just wanted to take the opportunity to share this here with you.

my heartfelt gratitude to all for loving me these past 24 hours - you probably didn't realize you were doing that but you did!

namaste'

sammy

__________

I have learned, when my life has been most painful, that the me who can be hurt is not the real me. The woman in me, the professional in me, the writer in me, the teacher in me--what do they all mean? Are they not but bricks in a spiritual prison, seeking to circumscribe my life, when in fact a life cannot be circumscribed? What difference does it make if someone betrays me when my real self, my spirit, cannot be betrayed? Is not an insult an opportunity for me to look at the part of myself that can be insulted and say, "Ha, you're not even really me"? Is not the true self beyond sickness? Then who is it that gets sick? Is not the true self unlimited? Then who is it that can be imprisoned? Is not the true self eternal? Then who is it that dies?

That is the question: who are we, really? For if we think we are only small and separate, mortal beings, then the world we create will reflect that belief. We will live in a world of separation and suffering and death. Yet when we change our sense of who we are--when we realize we are boundless, unified with all life--then the human experience as we know it transforms. The one exercise repeated in the workbook of A Course in Miracles states the following: "I am as God created me." In some essential way we still are who we were at the moment of our creation, and all problems derive from our forgetting that.

If you are as God created you, then no mistakes you've ever made or anyone's judgments or negative opinions about you can in any way determine who you are or change your value.* In the Holy Instant, we can remember our divine essence and choose to express it. And whatever we express will be reflected back to us. The universe is always ready to give us new beginnings that reflect our innocence, but we are not always ready to receive them. The sun can dawn, but we don't see it if the drapes are closed. No matter how much God loves us, we don't feel it if we don't believe it. As long as we think that we are less than God's perfect creation, then the experiences we attract to ourselves will be less than God's perfect creation. As we believe, so shall it seem to be.

Your value is inestimable because you are a child of God.* If you ever find yourself thinking, "I am such a loser. Time and time again I try, and I always fail," stop right there. Erase the tape by recording a new one. Say strongly to yourself, silently or verbally, "I'm the coolest person in the world because God creates only perfection. I recognize my inestimable value regardless of my mistakes, for which I ask forgiveness. I am God's creation, and in this moment I ask the universe to reflect back to me the greatness of God that is within me." (Let whoever needs to laugh at that, laugh. What kind of world are they creating?)

All the children of God are special, and none of the children of God are special.* You're not better than anyone else, but neither are you worse than anyone else. All of us have special gifts, all of us are born to shine in one way or another, and all of us are innocent in the eyes of God. Look at the children in kindergartens: they're all gorgeous and magnificent, and so are we.

It's not arrogant to believe that you're infinitely creative, brilliant, and potentially perfect through the grace of God. In fact, it would be arrogant to think otherwise because what God has created cannot possibly be less than perfect.* That fact applies to you and it applies to everyone. It is not arrogant, but humble, to accept God's gifts and allow them to be expressed through you.

Yet to the ego, that is not humility but arrogance, and you deserve a strong comeuppance for daring to believe in yourself.

~Excerpt From The Gift of Change by Marianne Williamson (pg 32-34)
Hey Sammy, good to hear from u, too stressed to read ur post but ill read it later. lots of bad stuff (non drug) goin on, it seems to preceed me. email me if u get a chance.Harry
you got it buddy - is it browndog@yahoo.com?
Sammy... your IM to me yesterday also filled me with gratitude. I hope you know just how much I appreciate your love and wisdom. Without people like you, where would I be? Don't answer that, I don't want to know.

xxx
Cowgirl
Dearest Sammy,

Thank you for posting such a healing and much needed message.

Love,
Gina
Great message as always, Sammy. Humility is the answer to so many of my self-created problems today. Thanks for the reminder. None
Some of my favorite people on one thread...None, how are you? It is so good to see you post. I miss you my friend.

Cowgirl
That was cool! Thanks for posting that, I love reading stuff like this. It really puts my struggles into perspective, and helps me get a grasp on it in a more "real" and physical sense.
:)
Sammy,

What a wonderful post. Just what I needed to hear today.

God bless,
Hi Sammy, that was an exceptional post. Thank you for sharing it. I gained much from those words, Love, Kat
Sammy:

As always, great post. Marianne Williamson is one of my favorites as well as Louise Hay. As a matter of fact, she came up in conversation at dinner with friends tonight. Apropo you would post this...

Rachel
Hey..None. Good to see you...
Hey Rach
Kerry