BRYAN EDEN

I want to help you wake up and realize that your self-criticism is undeserved. The truth about you is that you are a unique masterpiece -- fully worthy, fully valid, fully lovable. You do NOT need to change who you are -- you need to open your heart to yourself and affirm your essential beauty and rightness. When you finally end the self-doubt and self-criticism, and see yourself with the eyes of love -- your spirit will be free forever.

I have discovered that a life of deep inner peace, daily happiness and inspiring love are possible on Earth and achievable in this lifetime. The Promised Land is real, and possible for you to reach.

I had found the healing power that was deeper than the disease -- the place that miracles come from. And the core of that power was love. Unconditionally loving myself was the exact opposite of the self-hatred and rejection that had fueled my auto-immunity. Love made my spirit want to live and love brought my body back to life.

What I'm pointing to is a spiritual adventure based upon putting your ultimate trust -- in yourself!

"Dear Brian: In the book "The Secret" they say we can have what we want. Is this true?"

I ask all of you to consider this: If you believe that the child you once were was born innocent, open-hearted, free of suffering, ready to love and be loved -- WHAT HAPPENED? Why do you now carry a painful burden of guilt, shame, self-doubt, self-criticism? Either you were born "flawed" (the Christian doctrine of Original Sin, echoed in the Hindu/Buddhist idea of karma from "past lives") -- somehow incapable of happiness and self-acceptance -- or real, concrete experiences programmed you to lose the ability to love and believe in yourself. It cannot be both, it must be one or the other! My heart tells me that we were all born innocent -- and ready to be happy! Our parents, our religions, our societies did NOT consciously intend to hurt the innocent and trusting children we once were -- and yet, for the vast majority of us, that was what occurred. I sincerely believe that if we can revolutionize our understanding of what children truly need from us, we will change the world more than all the religions and belief systems ever devised. BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES AND IN LIFE! LOVE -- BRYAN

This simple exercise, when repeated over time, will build up your subconscious voice of self-acceptance regarding your sexuality. Many of you will find that your sense of adventure and sexual enjoyment increases, while your difficulties fade. Examples: - "There's no need to feel guilty or ashamed." - "I completely accept your desires." - "It's good to let go and lose control." - "You deserve to be sexually satisfied." - "It's good to move and make sound during sex." - "I want you to have fun in bed." - "Sex is for pleasure, not a performance." - "I think your sexuality is beautiful."

Your openness to your sexual feelings and energy is essential for maintaining a mood of happiness, aliveness and inner peace. Since your sexuality is a vital part of your authentic self, fully accepting and enjoying it is equivalent to loving and believing in yourself!

From my point of view, the world's current lack of awareness about the "everyday" emotional and physical abuse of children is similar to how slavery was viewed hundreds of years ago. That was an unimaginable evil, directly in front of people's eyes, yet because it was socially acceptable the vast majority of people hardened their hearts to its complete wrongness. Most of the world, for thousands of years, was emotionally blind and numb to the horror of human slavery. I believe that we are in a perfectly analogous situation, here in the 21st Century, regarding our inabilty to see what we (unknowingly) do to our children. Because people generally block out the pain of their own upbringing, they can't see that they are treating their own kids in the ways that had once hurt themselves. And so the cycle of pain passes from generation to generation. Because a critical number of people will have to look within, break through the denial of their own suffering as children, and then see how they are passing that pain on, we will need a worldwide movement akin to the spread of Christianity or Buddhism. It will take hundreds of years, but it has to begin somewhere. Let it begin here, and in the heart of every person brave enough to feel their own pain -- and therefore become capable of seeing the pain of the children.

Don't you see? You are as precious, as innocent, as pure and as lovable as the day you were born. You are sacred, as sacred as a newborn child. And you have the same potential for a life of joy, if you choose to believe in yourself and begin again! This potent mirror of your sacredness will free your spirit to say "become yourself, believe in yourself. That's all you need to do!"

On my journey to heal and free myself I struggled for decades with an overwhelming burden of sadness and despair. Among the experiences that left me with a life-long, broken hearted sorrow were my father's beatings of me and my siblings; my mother's suicidal depression and abuse of alcohol; the complete lack of touching and physical affection in my family; and the cruel suppression and denial of my need for love and the expression of my feelings.

Now I know that it is possible to reach the promised land beyond fear. It exists! Paradise is the love in our hearts, shining forth like the sun when the long night of fear is gone.

Here is a practical exercise which, when used regularly, will shift you away from self-criticism and doubt and toward the happiness of loving and believing in yourself.

It is absolutely true that we are all connected on a deep and mysterious level. The proof is in front of anyone whose eyes -- and heart! -- are open to the facts of their own experience. Take heart -- no matter how isolated you feel, I swear to you that you are NOT alone!

In my work with my psychotherapy clients and students in my classes on self-love I champion a loving and positive relationship with one's anger. This is because I have come to see that everyone -- no exceptions! -- is carrying a significant burden of suppressed and therefore self-damaging anger. However "holy" we strive to be it is far better to strive to be ourselves and stay real with our authentic feelings. That is true self-acceptance and the path to inner peace and joy.

DEAR BRYAN -- "I'm beginning to realize that all my life I've felt pain whenever I've wanted to be close to somebody. Either I'd be afraid, or sad. As I'm learning about love -- especially how to love and nurture myself! -- in your classes, it's becoming clear that love doesn't have to hurt! But I'm still a long way from being able to love freely, with no fear. Why does something so good and beautiful feel so complicated -- yes and even scary?"

A dear friend of mine is struggling to free herself of her lifetime of worry and fear. Originating in a severely abusive family, her fear has robbed her of inner peace and self-confidence and tragically limited her ability to love and be loved. Fear is a mortal wound that slowly drains our life without our recognizing that we are dying.

Lasting inner peace and joyfulness can only grow when we've faced and released the sadness we carry.

When you awaken and realize that all you REALLY need is to love and trust yourself, everything else becomes fuel for that journey.

i haven't met anyone yet who, in some way, hasn't had their heart broken -- shattered by a parent, by a lover, by life itself. i believe that healing our broken hearts is the key to the future -- for our own individual lives and for the world we share! We must redeem our love and our joy, which sleep beneath the anger and the pain. And when our grief and anger have come alive , and we've given them their voice, the healing heart starts to yearn for forgiveness.