PS – I might go little slowly in posting reader’s stories and my writings as I am going through a chronic eye problem. I know how I have written this post. I have taken 2 hours break between each paraJ..Hope you guys enjoy!
Finally, another Valentine’s Day gets added to our lives.
It’s special this time as I have learned to treasure life much more than all these years. Last year when life was so hard or I must Arthritis has made my life harder. But one thing relieves me all these months – LOVE.I feel happy or I must say blessed as I have the courage to accept my reality BUT again the factors or people around me made it easier for me. People have given so much of support or love (yes the word is support not sympathy). You can make it out the difference when you are in my stage. They never said ‘Oh! We feel sorry for you’. They always said ‘You are a brave person to handle this. We are sure you can fight this situation very well’. I will not deny this pumped me up. Whether I could handle the situation or not but I tried as so many people counted on me.
For me all those words have been like Valentine’s wishes and all such days as ‘Valentine’s Day. When I read about many people (mainly in the age group of 40 to 65) who are going through Osteoarthritis (an uncommon disorder for my age...lol), they all have one thing in common they feel blessed as they have learned the worth of life and themselves. They have one aim that is to LOVE YOURSELF.
Valentine’s Day is a Day of Love. Where it used to be only for lovers people have taken a step forward and started wishing friends and families as well. Why not? Love is a vital component of every relationship. What about your relationship to yourself or your soul? Love yourself. You are most important to yourself. Rest everything will be conquered the day you understand how hard it is to love yourself. You might find yourself special but the victory is when others count that you are special. I realised this when last year I went to confess in a church.
After two days of conversation with ‘Father’, he convinced me that it is easier to love others but difficult to love yourself.
He said “To love yourself you need to fight your flaws and develop the great power of self-control to live with attitude, pride and self-esteem. These three highlighted words mean a lot of self-control. Sometimes you might feel to look back and get emotional but then remember “Love Yourself”. This might require you to fight for your rights, disconnect people and be firm. People will judge you and might laugh at you but you have to move on with patience and self-control. In this journey of loving yourself do not be rude to others. Even if they call you names, be patient. One wrong move will prove that you have let your standards down and you can never improve. When you leave scope of improvement, you actually do not love yourself. Loving yourself comes when you also love those who do not love you or never loved you”.
I thought about it for days. I was always very emotional about people. But now with time and what I learned on those 2 days, I changed. The word ‘changed’ here was not easy for me as well. For me it is no more “I am the best”. I have taken a big jump to “I am better than the best”. For others I might not be the most beautiful person or the best dancer in the world but in myself, I am the one. I have started thinking that way to make myself happy. What’s bad about it, if it gives us happiness at the end of the day?
I have practised for months to develop self-control and grow above the level of reacting to situations. Where medicines increase the chances of sensitivity and anger, yoga keeps me cool and calm. I keep myself busy with things that never I thought of doing. I never thought I will bake a chocolate cake and now it is one thing I enjoy to do.
There have been instances where people laughed at me. Honestly, I do not react anymore as Father told me a very nice thing. He said “It is easy to laugh at others but difficult to make others laugh. Here ‘laugh’ is being used as a verb but the action and its reaction is completely contrary to the usage at both places. If laughing at you gives happiness to others and you do not react that means you have learned to love yourself”.
Learn to ignore things and move on with happiness. Even if you are not happy create situations to give yourself happiness. I am not allowed to dance but still I dance, though not much. I am learning ‘Flamenco’ these days on my own using net. It is hard to find a trainer for that here but yes net is a good option. I want to rehearse ‘Flamenco’ on a song ‘Amplifier’ by Imran Khan (It is great peppy number but a strange song selection for dance type like ‘Flamenco’). See we learn one more thing here – where there is a will doors will automatically open for you.
So let us move one more step ahead. This Valentine – Love Yourself!
Do things that make you happy. If you will be happy you will surely make others happy.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
