As I became more interested in the relationship with the self, I came to realize the different ways we treat who we are; our body, mind and soul - even our heart. I think the best interpretation we can give to how we treat ourselves is with this analogy or metaphor that I came upon, which is our home. The way we treat our house, depending on how clean and organized it is, allows others to have an impression of how we are. Not only is it the cleanliness of the space, but the comfort and safety that we feel when we are there; this can maybe even make others feel more welcome in the space as it feels comforting. Now, if we were to interpret the home we live in and how we treat it as ourselves, then we can go a step further to understanding or come to measure how it is that we truly are or feel. If you think about it, the home is an external representation of your state of being, your interests, your organization, and even the welcoming sensation you choose to provide, maybe even a mask to how we (choose to) come across. The self, or body, on the other hand, is similar in that sense. The way we take care of ourselves is the representation of our true state of self, how we care for ourselves and how we protect our space; it can also be the mask of how others may see you in the way you behave, the way you act and the way you dress yourself up. Suppose you compare the two, and even combine them, saying that your self is your home and begin to treat it like one. In that case, you will also start to be more cautious as to who you invite into your space, how much you cleanse it, and how you organize the things that were to come into your life, or maybe even remove them.
I have realized a lot in regards to being in that sense of comfort with yourself and the space that you share with yourself. It is this beauty of being in a relationship with ourselves that we oversee because it is internalized rather than externalized (like the home).
It is so easy to mask who we are or how we feel when we have the chance to do so because it allows us to adapt to different circumstances. We are accustomed to showing who we are in a certain way, displaying a persona, or a space, that either welcomes or rejects. But if you were to think about it, the more welcoming you become, creating that space of comfort and safeness, the more likely it is for people to want to come in to get that feeling as well. But the thing that we have to learn how to do is to protect that. I don’t mean isolating, excluding or rejecting that space to others, but more so becoming more mindful of what we choose to bring into this sacred space that we have created. Because it is very easy for things to come in, welcoming them with open arms because they seem as though they will respect the space in the same way you do, but unfortunately, some entities may come in to take away that feeling (maybe not with the intention of malice, but merely a sense of desperation).
So, how do you treat yourself? Who do you invite into your space? Are you allowing yourself to cleanse your space and find that comfort in where you are and who you are? What would you remove if you had to make more space for something new? What would you move around or change if you could?
Z.
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