Welcome.
This meditation is a poem by Charlie Chaplin called As I Began to Love Myself.
He wrote this poem,
Supposedly,
At the end of his life,
Aged 70,
While living in exile in Switzerland.
Charlie Chaplin had a long history of addiction,
Abuse and severe depression throughout his life.
His on-screen characters were his gift to the public,
Making millions laugh and cause a revolution in cinema.
His personal life was far from cheerful and filled with endless relationships,
Alcoholism,
Dark periods of personal agony and the absence of self-worth.
If you are feeling depressed,
Anxious or worthless today,
Just know it is never too late to embrace yourself and the person that you truly are.
As I began to love myself,
I found that anguish and emotional suffering were only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today I know this is authenticity.
As I began to love myself,
I understood how much it can offend somebody if I try to force my desires on this person,
Even though I knew the time wasn't right and the person was not ready for it,
And even though this person was me.
Today I call it respect.
As I began to love myself,
I stopped craving for a different life and I could see everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call it maturity.
As I began to love myself,
I understood that at any circumstance I am in the right place at the right time and everything happens at the exactly right moment,
So I could be calm.
Today I call it self-confidence.
As I began to love myself,
I quit stealing my own time and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.
Today I only do what brings me joy and happiness,
Things I love to do and that make my heart cheer and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm.
Today I call it simplicity.
As I began to love myself,
I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health.
Food,
People,
Things,
Situations and everything that drew me down and away from myself.
At first I call this attitude healthy egoism.
Today I know it is self-love.
As I began to love myself,
I quit trying to always be right and ever since I was wrong less of the time.
Today I call it modesty.
As I began to love myself,
I refuse to go on living in the past and worrying about the future.
I only live for the moment where everything is happening.
Today I live each day,
Day by day and I call it fulfillment.
As I began to love myself,
I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick.
But as I connect it to my heart,
My mind becomes a valuable ally.
Today I call this connection wisdom of the heart.
We no longer need to fear arguments,
Confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others.
Even stars collide and out of their crashing,
New worlds are born.
Today I call it life.
Namaste.
Namaste.
