LOVE CAN LAST

It all starts with you. Yes, understand that you can only love if you love yourself. The question then becomes how does one develop self love? I guess it all begins when you are a little baby. How were you touched? How were you fondled? How were you held? What sounds did you hear? Were they soft, loud, or gentle? Did you see faces that were smiling or frowning? These questions are answered by the vibrations they provided you. If they were warm and tender, then you felt comfortable and safe. You were at ease to reach out to the world and embrace it. Now, you may not remember those early sensations but they developed and if they continued to be positive as you grew older you really got to love yourself. You really loved your feelings so much so that you now become able to share those feelings with others. You have developed the ingredients of love that give you pleasure in life.

    If you have been blessed with children then they have grown to love by the model you have set for them. If you have a positive self concept, then they will know it by the way you relate to them. If you have been nasty, belligerent, or angry as they were growing up, don't be quick to blame them when they act that way to you. After all, the behavior you modeled may come home to haunt you. Remember, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." When they leave the nest and live on their own you would like to believe that they are free agents and should know how to behave and relate nicely with you and other people. However, like it or not, vestiges of your nurturing have become a part of them. So, in your senior years of life what's the answer?

If, as I said earlier, you have lived with a positive self concept, you will reap the rewards of a healthy loving relationship with your children. Even If you have a negative self concept you still have an opportunity to change your perceptions to a positive view of life because the infant vibrations you received were not transmitted genetically. You learned from them. But it won't necessarily be easy because think about the many years you have become what you are. It takes a lot of courage to really look into yourself and recognize who you have become. If you have the willingness to be introspective and have enough self confidence, you can change your perceptions. The change will be refreshing, not only to yourself, but to your children.

It's important to understand that if you are really committed and motivated to modify your self concept, recognize the change may not be rapid but it will occur. Even your loved ones may be surprised, at first, to see you in a different light. They might think you are showing something of yourself that makes them feel you are pretending. Don't let that discourage you. Remember, the good feelings of love you share will be catching, attractive and everlasting for yourself as well as others. Love does last if it is authentic.