If you make friends with yourself, you will never be alone.

-Maxwell Maltz

Sometimes, when I am struggling with uncomfortable feelings, I am apt to turn my focus outward and fixate on others rather than accepting my own reality. At times like this, I often find myself afraid to be without others there to distract me from my own discomfort and justify this behavior by saying that I feel lonely.  Now, I can realize that when I try to avoid being alone, it is because of my fear of my own feelings and lack of self-acceptance. Often, I am my own worst critic and am the first to reject my emotional needs in times of pain or sadness.  I reach out to my Higher Power, in these times, and pray for the strength and willingness to be gentle with myself and treat myself as I would treat any friend – with courtesy, respect, and compassion. When I do this, with the love of my Higher Power, I realize that I can be alone and not lonely.

A meditation for February 15, 2013.

Now is the Start – A Fine Frenzy