| We all want an abundance of self esteem. | | | | without anyone lacking what they need) |
| And why not? Self esteem equates to confidence, | | | | If we cannot affirm these statements whole heartedly, |
| being attractive (without having to fake it), and being a | | | | without qualification or condition, then our connection |
| magnet for success, wealth, popularity, and a whole | | | | isn't complete and fully functional. Which explains why |
| host of other goodies. The Law Of Attraction requires | | | | so many of us are trying out so many different kinds |
| a genuine core of self esteem before it swings into | | | | of strategies designed to make connection: with love |
| action, bringing whatever we desire to us without our | | | | partners, soul mates, family ties, children, pets, food, |
| having to lift a finger. We don't have to earn what | | | | products of every kind designed to fool everyone that |
| comes to us when we have lots of self esteem. It | | | | we are worth more, when deep down we know we |
| comes to us as a cosmic gift. | | | | are not. |
| But if we don't already have that core, can we | | | | And that's just on the human level. How about all the |
| generate it by positive thinking? Not really! Positive | | | | spiritual and religious pathways to connect with a divine |
| thinking flows from self esteem, not the other way | | | | source of plenty? Who doesn't have one or more |
| around. And it doesn't come from carefully tending our | | | | practice that's geared toward appeasing, enticing, or |
| mental garden plot either, any more than weeding, | | | | demanding that the cosmos supply us with more of |
| fertilizing and watering makes our favorite plants grow. | | | | what we want? |
| We can weed out all our negative thinking and still not | | | | Think about it? How many of the above mentioned |
| see the flowers grow. | | | | things are you doing every day? Or perhaps only on |
| Why not? Because the seed has to have already | | | | Sabbath--and hoping that Divine Grace stays with you |
| been planted. And that's the part most of the RA RA | | | | through the following Saturday night. |
| programs out there don't understand, therefore fail to | | | | No wonder there are so many pathways back to |
| produce the desired result. | | | | Oneness with the ultimate source of everything. Only |
| So where does the seed of self esteem come from? | | | | problem with that scenario is that once having made |
| Connection. We all experienced connection before we | | | | that one-way trip down the birth canal, it is mighty |
| were born. We didn't know what it was, but it fed us, | | | | difficult to climb back into the womb! |
| removed waste products, and nurtured us from single | | | | Many of the unhealthy behaviors we see in ourselves |
| cell to viable fetus. After our umbilical connection was | | | | and others around us are attempts to derive what we |
| severed, we continued to have emotional and mental | | | | need from objects, companions, family, and close |
| connection to our human providers for at least a | | | | relationships. That's like trying to get enough water |
| couple of years. That's how mommy knew what to | | | | second hand from them, rather than finding a spigot |
| do when we couldn't say an intelligible word. | | | | that supplies clean water for ourselves. |
| So an even better analogy than tending seeds would | | | | What we need instead is a viable method of making |
| be a hose connection. Self esteem is the natural | | | | connection with unlimited supply at a spiritual level. A |
| experience of having connection to unlimited sources | | | | cosmic hose bib, as it were. We need to realize that |
| for whatever we need, whether it be emotional | | | | many of the avenues available to us, whether codified |
| support (aka unconditional love), mental guidance, and | | | | religious systems or new age spirituality, extract a high |
| spiritual abundance. Shaking the hose may be great | | | | price and deliver often contaminated supply. |
| fun--and even produce a few sprays of water on | | | | And we need connection to ourselves, as well. Few of |
| occasion--but the hose bib has to be connected and | | | | us can say we know our innermost hearts--who we |
| turned on before there is much volume. | | | | are as individualized spiritual beings as well as unique |
| What happened to most of us is that we never had a | | | | human beings. One of the main distractions for |
| quality of connection that was sustainable. Or it didn't | | | | knowing ourselves are the people--real or |
| provide enough healthy nutrients for our seeds of | | | | televised--attempting to tell us to be someone else. |
| esteem to take root and grow strong and healthy on | | | | Look different. Do something different. Live our lives in |
| their own. | | | | generic ways suitable to the purposes of someone |
| How can we tell if we have viable connection? Take | | | | else. |
| this simple YES TEST. Can you say yes to three | | | | It's only when we have viable connection internally and |
| simple statements? | | | | to the creative power of the universe that we have |
| * I have enough! (without taking anything from anyone | | | | enough flowing to us. Only then do we have that |
| else) | | | | sense of being filled up that we commonly call self |
| * I am enough! (on my own, without connecting to | | | | esteem. When we are full, we cannot not be valuable. |
| anyone else) | | | | Who can say we aren't valuable when universal |
| * The universe is enough! (everyone has enough | | | | sources demonstrate that we are? |