Oh, I've forgiven my own rapist :P - I heard on a podcast today that forgiveness was linked to grief! That is, you have to let something go in order to be able to do it - your values, your anger, your rage, the story you have in your head about it. Takes some doing, but I liked this concept.

Hm. I think self love and self acceptance are really different. Ask if you'd rather be loved or accepted. Loved is much better in my book.

Perhaps it's how we define the 'self'? There's two, isn't there? The form - our body, the collection of thoughts that make up our identity, our story, the ego etc. Then there's the self that's the witness, that is outside of all of that. That, you can love - in yourself, and everyone else, beyond form.

I honestly believe you really can't love your neighbour until you can love yourself. Because if you don't see yourself as a beautiful, divine, loving being, you're sure as hell not going to see that that spirit is present in every single living creature.

Aren't self loathing, shame etc limiting beliefs? Once you leave those behind, I believe you're more capable of being who you really are meant to be.