Self Respect

Self-respect depends on knowing who I am, knowing my eternal (ageless),
spiritual self. When I have found that sense of spiritual identity, I feel
I have a right to be here, to exist. Without the spiritual dimension, it is
very difficult to really respect myself deeply. In this case, I base my
respect on identifying with the superficial (artificial) aspects of my
being: looks, gender, success, my life partner, my intelligence. With such
artificial identification, I will never have a stable sense of
self-respect, because people's opinions change. Today they love me,
tomorrow they reject me. What is the result of depending on their opinions?
I will end up fluctuating all the time - feeling positive when they say
good things, and feeling down when they say negative things. To stay stable
in my self-respect, I need to have a deeper understanding of my spiritual
identity (the foundation of this being that I am a soul) and tap into those
riches that are within me forever, waiting to blossom, like the flower from
the seed.

As I become spiritually aware, those riches and resources start flowing out
of me. The more stable I am in my self-respect and spirituality, the more I
radiate what I truly am. I feel a deep sense of contentment and I am happy
to be me, however I am. I accept myself as I am.