John Cali
There are two sleek, soft-eyed, lovely ladies from my neighborhood who visit me almost every day. And often at night too.
Have I got your attention?
Good.
So let’s get on with this tale of two ladies.
Andora and Marla are their names. The one thing they share is their great beauty. But that’s where the similarity ends.
Andora knows who she is. Marla is confused.
Andora is not only pretty, but also poised and personable. She knows who she is and radiates a powerful presence, confident and secure in her being. She’s loving and affectionate, but, more importantly, true to herself. She knows who she is, and she will not deny herself for the sake of another.
Marla is also very pretty, but confused and needy. She whines a lot and begs for more of my attention than I can possibly give her. She seems to have no self-confidence, and often looks lost and lonely. She has no idea who she is, and she will forsake herself for the attention of another.
Andora and Marla are cats. I realize I may be attributing human characteristics to them they do not really possess. But that’s not my point. My point is they remind me of many people I know.
Here’s Spirit.
Spirit
Andora and Marla, though they are cats, are excellent representations of many humans today.
Andora, as John said, is secure and confident. She is loving and caring, but also always true to herself.
Marla, on the other hand, is a rather needy personality, and she will often demean herself for a few moments of attention and affection from another.
Andora has learned how to love herself — she gives herself all the attention and affection she knows she deserves. Thus she enables herself to give others — namely, her human friends — all the attention and affection she knows they deserve.
Andora is well balanced. She’s aligned with her source energy — or, if you like, her higher self. And that alignment brings her peace and poise. She radiates calm, loving energy. Many others are drawn to that.
Marla, on the other hand, is out of balance. She wanders through her life lost and lonely, wondering what it’s all about. She just doesn’t get it. Life eludes her. There’s no joy, only a deep longing for something — anything — she thinks she can get only from outside herself to make herself feel better.
And there lies the greatest and most significant difference between Andora and Marla.
Andora is self-contained. She’s always aligned with who she really is. And so she glides through life effortlessly, knowing she has — and is — all she needs. For Andora, life is beautiful.
Marla is confused. She’s always looking outside herself for validation, for a sense of self-worth. She’s always begging others for attention so she can know she’s worthy of love. Yet she does not love herself. And, therefore, she cannot draw to herself the love of others.
Love yourself first and then you will automatically love all others. It cannot be otherwise.
Andora and Marla are great role models. The question is: Which model do you want to follow?
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