Only through love we can increase our knowledge. If we don't love something, we will never know it well enough. Why? Love makes us interested. It stimulates us to dig deeper and to look closer. Love makes our attention focused. It gives us consistence and persistence in studying of object of our love. Therefore, if we wish to know ourselves we need to love ourselves.

Genuine self-love is not something to be afraid of. It should not be confused with arrogance, narcissism, or self-glorification. Such attitudes, contrary to a popular opinion, speak of lack of self-esteem. Those who take all the efforts to exalt and promote themselves, battle with deep-seated feelings of insecurity and unworthiness.

We may love ourselves as we recognize who we really are. Growing awareness of our divine nature helps us to increase our love. We declare with firmness and confidence:

"I am good".
"I am valuable".
"I am worthy of all God's blessings".
"Love is my nature. I am made of love, and I am made for love".

Self-love helps us to let go of all the things which are out of harmony with the spirit of love. At least, we recognize that they are unnatural, and therefore should not be a part of our life.

For instance, we let go of feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness. The one who knows and loves oneself, knows that human life is meaningful and significant. It contains God. It is meant to expressed God in all of its aspects.

We let go of loneliness. Divine love reveals that the Presence is always with us. God is Light, and God is everywhere. There is not a spot where God is not, including the depths of our being. If our spiritual eyes are opened, we know that darkness is an illusion.

We let go of feelings of sickness and poverty. Divine love is healing love. Divine love is all-providing love. The only way to remain sick and poor for a long time is to resist this love which is meant to bless us in all possible ways.

So many times I defined love as the power and the spirit of unity and wholeness. Love unites us to God and to God's world, breaking down all mental walls of separation. Even more, love heals our own inner conflicts, allowing us to embrace all the aspects of our personality. A loving person easily becomes energetic and strong, since he/she doesn't scatter energy in inner tensions and conflicts.

"Love is difficult", some people say. But it is not the final truth. Possible difficulties are due to the fact that we've been culturally or religiously programmed to think and act in unloving ways. Unnatural habits were formed, and getting rid of them might take time.

"Love will make you suffer", some people say. But it is not the final truth, either. Love implies openness and vulnerability, but it is just one side of the coin. Another side is that once we express love, we act in agreement with the universal laws, and those laws act on our behalf. They protect us, strengthen us, and heal our wounds if necessary.

"God is love". This is one of the greatest revelations of the Bible. Let us stay true to those words, disregarding vain religious teaching which don't agree with the spirit of love. False interpretations come and go, but love remains.

"When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God".
And think not that you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course".
Kahlil Gibran