loving oneself.

After my trip to rome and Australia I can truly say what a blessing. I discovered Bishop Geffrey Robinson's new book 'Love's Urgent Longings' published by John Garratt publishing. As a survivor of abuse himself Bishop Robinson has had to fight the demons too. And this shows in a deep spirituality and deep wisdom. He chanced upon a book by
John Powell SJ (Happiness is an Inside Job, Tabor Publishing, Valencia, CA, 1989)what a winning combination Robinson & Powell.

Both feel that there is a spirituality in 'loving oneself'.That there are ten Life Tasks towards attaining deeper happiness and a genuine spirituality.

As a survivor of sexual abuse/clergy sexual abuse and one who'childhood mantra was 'you are not worthy' these ten tasks would have helped me years ago.

i pass them on because I believe many are suffering the legacy of awarped christianity that simply told us we were evil and needed God's redemption. I'm aware of my sinfullness and wrong doings but I ain't about to grovel to God. He/she loves me or he/she doesn't but I happen to believe he/she does.

So these are the SPIRITUAL mandates of God...and its a wonderful feeling

1. I must learn to accept myself as I am. Self-liking people are at peace with themselves and free to move out towards others, self-hating people are not.

2. I must accept full responsibility for my life, for growth begins only where blaming others ends

3. I must try to fulfil my needs for relaxation, exercise and nourishment.

4. I must make my life and act of love. Most people have a question that they instinctively ask in each new situation. It might be "How can I make the most money here?" or "How can i have the most fun?", or any of a hundred other questions. In pursuing true happiness, he suggests the best question is the one I have already mentioned, "What is the most loving thing to do here?"

5. I must stretch myself by stepping out of my comfort zone.

6. Without being naive, I must learn to look for what is good in myself, in others and in the world around me rather than concentrate all the time on the negatives. A study of 100 happy people found that this simple attitude was what contributed most to their sense of happiness.

7. While I seek growth, I must not set up impossible standards and feel a failure when I don't achieve them.

8. I must learn to communicate as effectively as possible, for "we are as sick as we are secret", and I will be healthy and happy when I can give freely and receive gracefully.

9. While avoiding excess, I must learn to enjoy the good things in life
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10. I must daily and consciously seek the spritual in my life and in the world around meinson & Powell.



Look after yourself, love yourself and deveop a deep spirituality ....it can be done. sermon over!
margaret