Key Takeaways

This episode of the Empowered Spirit Show focuses on the theme of self-love, urging listeners to shift their focus from external validation to internal cultivation of love and self-worth. Hosted by Terry Ann Hyman, the episode combines personal anecdotes, insightful observations, and a guided meditation to provide a comprehensive guide to embracing self-love.

The Problem with Outward-Focused Love

Terri Ann Heiman points out a common pattern, especially among women, of excelling at loving others—partners, children, clients—while neglecting their own needs. This outward focus often leads to a sense of being lost, as individuals give away their power and constantly seek external validation for their worth.

Two Patterns of Self-Abandonment

The episode identifies two primary ways people abandon themselves in the pursuit of love and wholeness:

1. Losing Ourselves in Love: This pattern involves giving so much to others that one's own well-being is depleted. It's a form of self-abandonment that can be disguised as devotion or service.
2. The External Search for Wholeness: This is the continuous and exhausting search for the next book, workshop, or teacher that promises to make one feel complete. This behavior stems from the belief that something essential is missing within.

A Personal Journey to Self-Love

Terri Ann shares a deeply personal story of transformation. She recounts how she ignored her intuition about her husband's infidelity, a painful experience that ultimately led her to a profound realization. The moment of crisis became a turning point, prompting her to question who she had been listening to and to start tuning into her own inner voice.

The High Cost of Ignoring Your Inner Voice

The consequences of not listening to one's inner guidance can be severe, leading to a loss of confidence, a diminished sense of self, and a breakdown of trust in oneself and others. Terry Ann describes this period as feeling disconnected and like a "shell going through the motions."

The Path to Reclaiming Self-Love

The episode outlines a path to rediscovering and nurturing self-love, which includes:

• The Power of the Pause: Taking a deliberate break from the constant outward search for answers and validation.
• Connecting with Inner Guidance: Learning to listen to and trust one's intuition and higher self.
• Embracing Spiritual Practices: The host highlights the role of practices like Reiki and a daily morning ritual of asking for inner guidance.

Guided Meditation for Self-Love

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to a guided meditation. This practice is designed to help listeners connect with their inner selves and cultivate a sense of self-love through breathing exercises, visualizations, and affirmations.

The Transformative Power of Self-Love

By prioritizing self-love, individuals can stop seeking external validation and begin to source love from within. This shift in focus allows one to operate from a place of fullness and to trust their inner knowing, even in the face of external opposition. The episode emphasizes that you become the "frequency you've been seeking."

Paramahansa Yogananda, which so beautifully encapsulates our journey today.

He reminds us not to focus on our smallness, on the little wave that feels battered by life. He says, "Don't look to your little body; look within." He urges us to remember that behind every small wave is the entire vastness of the ocean.

Yogananda teaches that the ultimate source of love and self-worth comes from only one place—within. From our higher Self. He says, "What you are is much greater than anything or anyone else you have ever yearned for... for within your soul lies the greatest treasure of all — God."

He reminds us of our indestructible nature with these powerful words: "You are a spark of an Eternal Flame. You can hide the spark, but you can never destroy it."

So, the invitation, as you go forward from this space, is to carry this truth in your heart. The next time you feel yourself seeking outside for validation, or losing yourself in the service of others, or feeling that you are not enough, pause. Remember the ocean within you. Remember the eternal spark you carry.

In Yogananda's own words: "Even while striving to improve yourself, learn to stand alone, secure in your own virtues and self-worth."

That is the essence of pausing to love. It is standing secure in the truth of who you are.

Thank you for journeying with me today. Until next time, trust, believe, and know thyself to be LOVE.

To your spirit!

Terri

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