| When Mahatma Gandhi gave us his philosophy of | | | | committing an act of violence on myself. |
| non-violence, or ahimsa, I believe he was | | | | It's not easy, as Gandhi himself noted, for us |
| preaching the highest form of self-love. | | | | human beings to be our best selves all the time. |
| Self-love not only means accepting myself the | | | | And by being my best self, I don't mean being |
| way I am, warts and all. It also means never | | | | perfect. I'm only human, after all. |
| tolerating anything – even from myself | | | | The important thing is to be aware of my goal at |
| – that harms or disempowers me in any | | | | all times. To pick myself up, correct my course |
| way. | | | | and continue on my way every time I take a fall. |
| In the things that I will not tolerate, I include | | | | Non-violence applies not only to actions that |
| violence. It's easy to perceive violence from an | | | | affect others, but also to those that affect me. It |
| external source. It's much harder to detect the | | | | means I will only put into my mouth foods that |
| internal violence we wreak on ourselves all the | | | | nurture my body, only harbour thoughts that |
| time. | | | | nurture my mind, only be in a relationship that |
| We harm ourselves everyday by tolerating | | | | nurtures my emotions. |
| – – The negative thoughts we think | | | | It also includes rising above my fears and giving |
| – The unhealthy diet and lifestyle we live | | | | up excuses about why I can't reach my highest |
| – The limiting beliefs we harbour – | | | | goals of physical, emotional and spiritual mastery. |
| The unethical actions we take | | | | If it seems like a stretch of the imagination to |
| To me, ahimsa means loving and respecting | | | | equate self-mastery with non-violence, remember |
| myself so that I accept nothing less than being | | | | that when you truly love yourself, you won't |
| my best self. | | | | tolerate anything that will harm you. |
| Every time I give in to my fears, cheat on my | | | | Don't use ahimsa as a noun, but as a verb. It's a |
| diet, tell a lie, lose faith in myself, blame and judge | | | | process and a way of life that requires a lot of |
| myself, or do anything to harm my body or mind, | | | | self-discipline. But I believe it's worth it. Because |
| I am hurting myself. Every time I allow myself to | | | | the philosophy of ahimsa, when applied to myself, |
| be less than I am capable of being, I am | | | | is the greatest form of self-love there is. |