We’re all familiar with the song which goes, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love…” And, we know it’s true. So, what do we do about it, you and I, right here, right now?

There are the simple answers, treat yourself well, smile more often, hold a door open for someone. Those are all good things which we all would do well to follow. But there is a lot more available to us.

Everyone has some degree of self-love, at least enough to eat and sleep, while some seem perpetually joyful. What would happen if all of us made an effort to love ourselves more fully?

What if we looked at ourselves the way we look at children who are learning new tasks? Imagine watching a small child learn how to put on a sock. They might go through all the cute little actions; which end of the sock opens up, how to get it near the foot, rolling over backward while trying, getting some toes in and some out, bringing it up around the heel, and finally get the wrinkled mess somewhere near its intended place. They’re having fully life-sized trials while we watch lovingly, enjoying the whole show.

Is it possible for you to look at the entire arc of your own life in this way? Can you see your frustrations, mis-steps, successes, and disappointments as a life-long learning experience? Can you love yourself through all of it? Can you love yourself for the willingness to keep trying, no matter how it all turned out? Can you love yourself as God loves you, as you love that child learning to put on a sock?

It can be done, and it is worthwhile. I’m told that if you could love yourself 50% more than you currently do – you would actually shine.

And now, setting aside the sensationalism of shining, what else would occur from you truly, honestly loving yourself more? What effect would you have on others? Do you recall being amongst a random collection of people where one person was quietly humming to themselves? What effect did that gentle humming have on you? Pleasing? Relaxing? Did it ease a difficulty for you, just a little?

Let’s expand that. You’ve seen how some people can light up a room just by entering. What if you, without becoming anyone different than you are, simply loved yourself more? I’m telling you, you would have a wonderful effect on the world.

Loving yourself a bit more fully would ‘spill over’ onto others. And beyond that, you have the capacity to love others on purpose. It is entirely possible for your loving of another person to cause them to love themselves more. It is entirely possible to bring about a change in their attitude by doing so.

It has been done.

There was an event some years ago where a man on a suicide mission was to drive a truck loaded with explosives into a US military base in the Middle East and set it off.

Several near death experiencers were aware of this event. Word was spread and loving energy was sent to the man driving the truck.

The man’s religious training taught him that he was doing the work of Allah and would be greatly rewarded. His military training told him that if he failed at his mission his own people would kill him and his family would be imprisoned. He was determined, and on his way.

Approaching the checkpoint of the compound he pulled the truck to the side of the road and stopped. He sat for a minute before getting out, then walked up to the guards excitedly asking for a translator. He told them he’d felt the ‘hugs of a thousand mothers’ and no longer wanted to hurt people.

The event was significant enough to be covered in the newspapers.

So, is it worth it to try and love yourself a bit more, even with all the mistakes and missteps you may feel you’ve made in life? There is an ancient Jewish proverb which goes, “If you seek to heal the world, put your own house in order.” If we’re trying to build a more loving community on Earth, doesn’t it make sense to start with ourselves?