Seeing The Jewel Inside

Do you know who Maria Shriver is? Prior to the Covid epidemic, all I knew about her was that she was the late president Kennedy's niece and the wife of actor Arnold S. Chwarzenegger. But after discovering her Instagram profile and reading some of her in-depth views on a variety of subjects, I realized how amazing a writer and thinker she is. To cut a long story short, I decided to buy her book I've Been Thinking...: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life. Here is an extract from it; there are so many more I'd like to offer, but let's start with this one:

“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” —Pema Chödrön

Are you looking at the gift wrap or the jewel inside?

No matter who you are, no matter how old you are, the challenge is the same: How do we turn our focus away from the glittering gift wrap we think is us and focus instead on the jewel inside, the jewels we really are?

It’s hard. I think about the marathon that is life and the endurance it requires. I think about how hard it is to deal with change—to grow old, to see your family change, your friends change, and your own prospects change. All of that sometimes makes it challenging to perceive the beauty within.

The truth is, we all want someone to see the jewel that is inside of us. We all long to be seen as valuable, no matter how old we are. And we work hard trying to get others to recognize our value, our worth, so often giving them the power to decide if we are, in fact, jewels to be cherished.

But that power is actually our own. It’s yours. Don’t give it away. I know, because I’ve given it away, and it’s challenging to get it back.

I sometimes look in the mirror and wonder who that is staring back at me. But I remind myself that I watched both of my parents age before my eyes, and I loved them no less.

So know this: You are a jewel. Don’t get discouraged when the gift wrap wrinkles or fades. There’s something precious inside.

So I’ve made a decision that now, I’m going to do what I did for my parents: love myself no less as I age. Regard myself not with judgment and criticism, but with kind thoughts, loving thoughts, and then take those thoughts and reflect them out onto others. I’m going to see me—my spirit, my soul, my heart—now.

Open your eyes. Look at yourself. See the beauty that is you.

Dear God, I am humbled by the reality that despite my flaws, you love and value me, because I am no better or worse in your sight than anyone else. Teach me how to esteem and love and serve others as you have loved me.

Amen

It is a great book to start your day with, by reading a chapter at the time, take a moment to pause, pray, and contemplate. It's a wonderful way to begin the day.

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