Shame is an illusion.
That may feel like a really strong statement. However, what is really strong is the illusion of shame. From the time we are born we start believing that we are damaged goods. Then we spend the rest of our life trying to prove we are good enough. One of our major religions talks about “original sin”. So we start out with that belief. It isn’t just a Catholic thing. It is a people thing.
So, what if Shame is the opposite of what is true? What if we are, in the essence of our being, only love, only perfection? What if, the truth is, we are born in the perfect likeness of God? Then Shame is the opposite of what is true.
Years ago I watched a movie called, “Cocoon”. There was a scene where beings from a different galaxy thought they were alone, so they unzipped the skins they were wearing that made them look human. Inside they were this incredible light. What if that is the same for humans? What if the body we wear is just a coverup for the essence of who we are. We get distracted by our bodies and the not so nice things we do to each other. But, the essence of who we are is not that body or what we do. The essence of what we are is love. Love created like itself.
What we need to do is remove the blocks we carry in our thoughts and in our beliefs that keep us from seeing our own essence and the essence of others. The essence in me beholds the essence in you. We have it completely backwards here. We think we are the bodies and the terrible things we do to ourselves and others. When we take our blindfolds off we see that Shame is the illusion.
The illusion is very strong. We have a very hard time believing that we are lovable, good enough, adequate, lovable, worthy, etc. We have to challenge ourselves to turn away from the illusion to the compassionate love that created us like itself.
We have to challenge ourselves to look past our behavior and the behavior of others to the love that is the essence of who we are. When we look into our own eyes in the mirror we look deep into the soul, the essence, the love that is there.
We don’t need to prove ourselves as worthy, enough, lovable, or adequate. We get to know that and never question that again. What we need to question is the shame which we have believed for so long.
Shame is an illusion.
We are not shame. We are love.