I thwart my own progress
On weaknesses I lay emphasis
And disregard any success
This is something I realized
After introspection relentless
And when I did, I was surprised
That I had caused my unhappiness..
Every negative experience
Made me turn inwards and chide
Myself, and curse my existence-
From myself I always wanted to hide
Took me years to comprehend
The world was my soul’s reflection
If within myself I would make amends
My world would move in the same direction
I was looking for external validation
For love, and whole-hearted acceptance
How could I expect it when self-condemnation
Had invaded every corner of my existence?
***
I was grateful for having realized
That my own worst enemy was I
It did not take me long to decide
To give self-love an honest try
Difficult as it was to replace
Self-loathing with kindness and love
It was spiritual travel to a new place
With blessings from above.