Charlie Chaplin reportedly published this poem on his 70th birthday. It is disputed whether he wrote it himself or merely recited it. Either way, these words provide a good opportunity to reflect on oneself and one's relationship with the environment.
When I began to love myself,
Charlie Chaplin
I understood that I am always and at every moment,
in the right place at the right time, and that everything that happens is right –
from then on, I could be calm.
Today I know: that is called trust.
When I began to love myself,
I could see that emotional pain and suffering
are only warnings for me not to live against my own truth.
Today I know: that is called being authentic.
When I began to love myself.
I stopped longing for a different life,
and could see that everything around me was an invitation to grow.
Today I know: That is called maturity.
When I began to love myself,
I stopped depriving myself of my free time,
and I stopped designing grandiose projects for the future.
Today I only do what brings me joy and pleasure,
what I love and what makes my heart laugh,
in my own way and at my own pace.
Today I know: that's called honesty.
When I began to love myself,
I freed myself from everything that wasn't healthy for me,
from food, people, things, situations
and everything that kept pulling me down, away from myself.
At first, I called it "healthy selfishness,"
but today I know: it is self-love.
When I began to love myself,
I stopped wanting to always be right, so I was less often wrong.
Today I realize: this is called humility.
When I began to love myself,
I refused to continue living in the past
and worrying about my future.
Now I live only in this moment, where everything happens.
This is how I live every day now, and I call it awareness.
When I began to love myself,
I realized that my thinking can make me poor and sick.
But when I called on the power of my heart,
my mind gained an important partner.
Today , I call this connection heart wisdom.
We no longer need to fear arguments,
conflicts, and problems with ourselves and others,
because even stars sometimes collide
and new worlds are created.
Today I know: That's life!
