A perfectly cast article by Susan Piver about tuning into our own inherent goodness:
It means being who you are rather than who you thought you were supposed to be.
This is an act of love, not to mention authenticity, joy, daring, kindness. Vulnerability.
Belief in your own goodness is the ground, path, and fruition of such an attitude toward yourself–not the kind of belief that comes second, after it is “earned” through appropriate behaviors, accomplishments, or mindsets, but the kind that comes first, an a priori assumption that creates the outer and inner environments of your very existence; a proclamation of the goodness you naturally possess and need do nothing to come by. You were born with it.
We each have to figure out what this means exactly, but the innate expectation of and need for love is our biggest clue.
The love we can offer ourselves is simply this: opening to your experience again and again, seeing what you feel, think, want, abhor, adore, disdain, and allowing it all to be so. When you judge yourself positively or negatively, you allow that too. See it. Take an interest in it. How fascinating. Because it is.
What it is not, however, is the truth.
The truth of who you are has much more to do with the one who takes an interest than the one doing all these interesting things. She, this latter being, is constantly changing, a kaleidoscope of beautiful forms, pleasing sounds, deliciousness, mystery, and also of grasping, aggression, delusion, and all such things beyond all such things. The you who is reading this email will be gone by the time this sentence has been read and a new, equally fascinating you is taking shape. Dive into this stream. This is love.
This love is gentleness.
It creates itself.
It is your home.
You deserve it, right now.
And now.
And now.
And now.
Your meditation practice teaches you exactly how to do this, rather than how to believe in it. Through sitting with yourself as you are, you practice taking this attitude of gentleness, relaxation, and, yes, bravery–breath by breath and thought by thought.
How many times have you turned toward yourself with the love, care, and tenderheartedness that you would toward a child, a lover, best friend, or brother? The answer could be never or I can hardly recall. Maybe today will be the day you begin.
http://www.susanpiver.com/wordpress/2011/12/01/you-are-good/