Happiness never comes from outside of us. He was happy because of the love coming out of him; she was happy because of the love coming out of her. – Don Miguel Ruiz
“You are what you believe you are.” Oh, so true Don Miguel Ruiz. I just finished The Mastery of Love which has the most simple premise – love yourself first to feel true happiness. It really is so simple but actually putting that into practice is so complex. As women, we seem to naturally put everyone’s needs above our own. Our children, spouse, parents, etc. If they are happy then certainly we will be happy. Marriages fall apart because we can’t seem to make our spouse happy. Or they can’t make us happy. That is the lesson right there. You cannot make anyone happy nor can you expect someone else to make you happy. We are responsible for doing that for ourselves. Once you start loving yourself as you are – not what you think you should be – you can work on loving those around you.
If you have experienced heartbreak from divorce, any break-up or challenges in your marriage, I strongly recommend that you read this book. It is like a manual for relationships to inspire and encourage you to heal your heart, mind and soul. We can’t nurture our relationships without nurturing ourselves first. That means loving ourselves for who we really are so that we can accept others and love them for who they are. Not what we want or need them to be.
My sweet boyfriend Kevin gave me this book after we had just started dating. He said it really helped him understand relationships after his divorce and the right perspective for successful relationships. He said it was important to understand that he couldn’t make me happy and he didn’t expect me to provide happiness. He already had that. Kevin has given this book to people newly engaged and his own teenaged son.
My teens are learning the art of relationships and how quickly others opinions can dim their light. Our kids will align their preferences or beliefs with someone else if they think that will make them loved or accepted. We have all done this especially in our youth to gain acceptance. I want my kids to live their life for themselves and let their true light shine. Love themselves for who they are so they can love others for who they truly are.
I will hand them this book and the conversation will go like this:
Me: Please read this beautiful book about loving yourself for who you are.
My kids: Ew. Mom.
Me: I’ll read it out loud to you at dinner.
My kids: Put it on my bed.
This book is truly perfect for anyone regardless of your religious faith to provoke thought, inspire, and empower. It opened my heart and mind towards receiving what God has for me. I hope it does the same for you! I’d love to hear about any books you have read that left you feeling empowered and changed for good! Please share in comments.
So order a copy for yourself and a few to share! Click on the image below:
Lemon Luster 