(I wrote this originally as a reply to VisionKeeper's latest post, then I felt it should be a post of it's own. VisionKeeper says "self-love" is the answer. I agree and here's why."
We have a winner!
As a psychologist and as an individual who struggled all his life to gain self-esteem through deeds I can assure you the message here is bang on.
Loving ourselves is a must to release ourselves from prison, the prison we created when we stopped believing we had value and became conditioned to suffering.
The influences are legion - from your family's religion, to the education system, to the opinions of those we now call Cabal, came the thundering impression that we were somehow defective - and to correct that, we needed to perform like trained seals to get some external authority's approval.
The Cabal have known this for a long time. By Cabal I also include the leaders of major world religions, like the Pope. They all knew this and used it against us. We were programmed to feel poorly about ourselves. Abusive parents (who were themselves abused), abusive institutions, all did their best to ingrain the message.
I myself became a psychologist, partly to impress my family, partly to prove to myself that I had value, and partly to figure this damn thing out. Why did I feel the way I felt? And why did my life suck while others seemed to thrive?
It's taken 40 years but I've got all the answers I need. What I have learned is this: "You've got to Aim for Love, and Self-Love in particular, to draw it to you". So after you've given up your performing seal routine you start looking in this direction, and if you're paying attention, you will have noticed that the happiest people are those that genuinely like themselves, and treat themselves with respect.
We each have been incarnated by Wisdom, God-dess. She infuses All Life, and lives as each and every life form: humans, animals, plants, water, earth, planets, etc. It is Her Heart that supplies the energy to All Creation. It is Her Breath that fills our lungs with sweet air and breathes us. It is Her Awareness and Creativity that pulsates through our cells and Her Dream that we live in. If we look to Nature and equally honor all It encompasses - be it the peaceful or wild and wonderful expressions of Her Being - we will have a greater respect for the rest of our family...all creation.
Each person must eventually come face to Face with the Dark Mother. She is the fierce 
