A Course in Love & Healing 
 
Lesson 20

It Is Your Spiritual Right 
to be Loved, Honored, & Cherished

By Dr. Scott Peck & Shannon Peck 
Co-Founders, TheLoveCenter

How loved, honored, & cherished do you feel by those closest to you?   

Here’s a very revealing exercise: Think of the 10 people you spend the most time with in your life – whether family, friends, or co-workers. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being tops, how loved, honored, & cherished do you feel in the presence of each of these people? 

Of course, you can also ask, “How loved, honored, & cherished do each of them feel in my presence?” but that is the focus of our next column.  

It is remarkable how quickly this simple exercise shows us how well – or not well – we are being loved by those in our inner sphere of living.  Can you see the enormously undermining impact of low ratings on your happiness in life? 

Each of us, in our constant desire and struggle to move higher & higher in our living & awareness, needs love that is nurturing, accepting, adoring, empowering, sustaining, and dependable.  This is not simply a nice thing to hope for.  It is your spiritual right to be loved, honored, & cherished by those around you.  Accept this as one of your love standards in life. 

For each person you rated as loving, honoring, & cherishing you at a 9 or 10, rejoice that you are being loved so well.  Tell them about this exercise. Thank them for their love.  

For each person you rated 8 or below ask yourself - without blaming the person or yourself – “How can I help this relationship move towards a 10?” Thinking this way is loving yourself and opening your life to the awareness that it is your spiritual right to be loved, honored, & cherished.  

“Yes, but what about the close family member who doesn’t love, honor, or cherish me?  I can’t just ditch my family.”  Of course not, but you can step outside of your time-anchored relationship with that person and set new standards and expectations.  You can speak with an honesty infused with love that sees the higher vision of the love you deserve.  You can tell them how your heart feels.  In loving truthfulness,  you will find others awakening with you and because of you.  It’s not about blame.  It’s about love expansion – for everyone.  You are simply being called forth to be the love teacher – helping others, even a close family member, learn how to love you at a higher level.  

“Yes, but what about the co-worker who doesn’t treat me well. I can’t just go ask that person to start loving me.”  Well, actually, you can!  You don’t have to use the word “love,” but you can engage that person heart to heart.  You can find a private moment and tell that person that you would like to discuss how you both could advance your relationship so both feel better about each other.  This calls for courage on your part.  But the alternative is a continuing life of not being well loved.  

“Yes, but what if I talk to the family member or co-worker and they don’t care?”   Continue to love them from your highest selfhood, but be aware that you deserve to be surrounded by people who love, cherish, & honor you.  Your higher consciousness of love – loving yourself without blaming others – will move those who don’t love you well to a further distance in your life and those who do love you to a close embrace.  And bring new love givers into your life as well.  This is the path that opens your life to the love you deserve – and the big secret is that you, by yourself, have the power to create this higher love around you.  Welcome to the heart of Love!