A Course in Love & Healing 
 
Lesson 22

The Power of Honoring

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

The power of honoring is extraordinary.

Think of how wonderful it feels when someone deeply honors and cherishes who you are – the real you! How many people in your life honor you so well that you feel absolutely loved and cherished in their presence? What are they doing that makes you feel so honored?

For one, they are not judging us. In fact, the exact opposite of judging is honoring. Judging tells us that, somehow, we are wrong. Honoring tells us we are wonderful – just as we are.

For another, they are loving us unconditionally. Is that even possible? Yes! Those who are expanding their skills of unconditional love are reaping phenomenal rewards. Not only are they uplifting lives, but they are experiencing the joy of living in the very heart of love itself.

Please take a deep breath right now – and hold it for 6 minutes. Just joking! Indeed, without oxygen – even for a brief period – we die. That’s a good way to understand the value of unconditional love. It’s like love oxygen. We need it – constantly. Love oxygen comforts and tells us we are worthy. It is available love – ready to supply whatever we need. What honoring!

Now for a humbling question. How many people do you honor so well that they feel absolutely – and consistently – loved in your presence? Even in this short article, we can feel the immense importance of taking honoring to a much higher place in our lives.

Many people today – after yoga classes, in emails, and in greeting or leaving each other – are reverently saying “Namaste.” It means, roughly, “I honor or salute the divinity within you!” What a simple and wonderful way to honor!

We also need to honor ourselves. By honoring your true spiritual self, you position yourself to operate at your highest place of loveliness. Shannon recently gave herself the assignment to love herself twice as much. You would think this would be fun and easy. Yet it  was not easy even to remember to do, so she wrote on an index card “Love myself twice as much!” and placed it on her desk. You can do this too.

Several weeks later, she had an opportunity to practice the power of this self honoring. On a very stressful day, she glanced at the card and thought, “If ever I am going to put this into practice, this is the day!” She didn’t have a clue as to how, so she decided to simply pause from the stressful situation. She noticed that she needed to calm herself. As she did, she felt more peaceful. Next she gave herself comfort. As she acknowledged these wonderful qualities of calmness and comfort, she discovered that they were already within. They are also within you right now.

Another way to honor yourself is to silence your inner critic – the voice that nags and condemns and won’t let you win. Instead, offer forgiveness to yourself. The mere decision to release the critic allows a river of sweet love to enter in its place. This is wonderful self honoring.

And so, as we move upward together into a new year, let us gently bow to each other’s inner heart and vast worth and say “Namaste.” Welcome to the heart of Love!