Tee-shirts from Los Angeles brand, “Love Yourself” have been flying off the shelves here at Spynga.  Not only are these tops as comfy as long-loved favourites, they also feature a unique message.  Slogans include, “Team Me,” “Love Yourself Is the Secret,” and “I Heart Me.”  Recently a Spynga guest half-jokingly said her husband would never let her live it down if she wore such a thing.  This got me thinking about these shirts and the message they convey.  With a greedy, consumerist, individualistic, “I deserve everything” culture all around us, interpreting these shirts as just another cog in the self-importance machine is pretty easy.  But what if we use these shirts to open a dialogue about the importance of accepting ourselves as we are in order to open space for greater compassion for others?  To say, “I love me,” even though we are flawed and nervous and insecure and grumpy and silly and crazy and weepy and bitter and strange can be extremely difficult.  But vitally important.  When we acknowledge that we are deserving of love in spite of our perceived shortcomings, we see that this translates to all other beings, no matter how different or angry or strange they might seem at first glance.  The Spynga guest with the doubting husband had already discovered this truth through her yoga practice – a wonderful way to explore and deepen self-acceptance and compassion.  In fact, the shirts are likely so popular with our clientele because so many of you are already walking the path toward greater acceptance and love of all those around us.  So continue to love yourself – it is the secret – but perhaps even more importantly, gently, compassionately share the true beauty of this secret with others who may still have their doubts!
