The ever-lasting power.

By Natalie Dekel.

Our western society has realised that it is ok for men to cry, and it is ok for soldiers to be distressed by the violence they witness. We have learned to accept same-sex marriages, and gradually we learn to live alongside those with different belief systems and cultural differences, as more and more people migrate and mix.

The next big challenge is to learn to accept ourselves…

'Heart' - by Natalie Dekel. 2009, Encaustic wax on card, 21cm x 15cm.

I do not refer to the self that our parents have patiently and lovingly nourished, or the self that schools drummed in. Nor do I refer to the social-self, shaped by cultures that suggested what is acceptable and what is not. The self that I refer to is the truth of who we are – our virtues and our faults. But, how does one embrace fears or deep emotions that we have never tackled?

The walls we have built to protect that self and suppress it from others noticing it – are very thick. So, first we should start with the basics, such as breathing. Deep breathing will calm our conscious minds and the ego that work so hard to protect us and maintain these protective walls. As we breathe deep and become calmer, we stop focusing on worries and fears. We can then notice the peace and calmness around us. We can experience a perfect balance, as nothing is lacking in that one moment where there is perfection and Love. Not the usual love we were taught to feel to one another where we give and expect some response in return. No, the love we feel in moments of calmness is more like air, a pure unconditional and ever-lasting. This love is essential to our existence and yet it is so fine we tend to ignore it while we are looking for something more ‘human’ in its appearance. The love we feel when we are calm and at peace is the gentle understanding of our own light, of our own power.

The more we learn to notice this love, the more it will spread and grow within us until we can no longer ignore it; until we cannot go through the day condemning our self, or being ashamed at how we look or sound or think or feel. This pure love teaches us that it is ok to be who you are, and that there is only One of you that exists in the whole Universe. This love teaches us that the qualities that you possess have been belittled all those years, yet they are actually the qualities that matter. They do not only matter to you but they help all those around you to learn to be who they are too, and learn to love themselves too.

This is the next lesson the human race needs to embrace on its path to evolution and global consciousness.

12 June 2013.
© Natalie Dekel