Now that I have finally gotten back into the routine of doing myself some good, I'm starting to also regain the frame of mind I had in the summer of 2010.

Going out every day and walking anywhere from 6-12 miles, weighing myself every day and watching the weight melt off was one of the happiest summers I had enjoyed in a long time. It certainly wasn't what I expected the summer after I celebrated my 60th birthday to be like.

[caption id="attachment_1608" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Deep in the heart ..."]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Texas-stuff-005.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1608" title="Texas stuff 005" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Texas-stuff-005-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

The weight loss -- 62 pounds just in Texas -- was great. It's tough to beat getting into really good shape for the first time in years, but what really mattered was getting into terrific shape, emotionally and mentally.

The best thing of all was that I really felt I had an epiphany, that I came to an understanding about the meaning of life. There are so many things that divide us in this world -- race, ethnicity, political persuasion, religion -- but when it comes down to it, none of those things really matter.

It's ridiculous to look at someone and see differences. We are far more alike than we are different when you look at what really matters. All most people want to is to be happy, to be able to live and raise their families in peace and for their children to have better lives than they did.

Three things seemed to matter, and all three work for people of all shapes and sizes. We need to love God, because that's what gives us the understanding that we aren't the most important thing in the world. We need to love our neighbor; the rule of reciprocity is at the heart of every legitimate religion man has ever practiced.

And we need to let go of regrets so that we can live in the present and look to the future.

<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/selflovefortune.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1609" title="selflovefortune" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/selflovefortune-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>All that made sense to me, but something was missing. It wasn't that any of those three basic principles was wrong, but that there was one more piece to the puzzle that I hadn't yet found.

Then it came to me.

We need to love ourselves, because if we cannot love ourselves, there is no way we can truly love anyone else.

I'm not talking about narcissism. Far from it. But it's important that we understand that our lives have value. If we can accept ourselves as basically good people -- albeit people always trying to do better -- then the rest of it falls into place quite nicely.

You don't need to follow Jesus ... or Muhammad ... or Buddha.

All that stuff just comes down to religions invented by men. Not that there's anything wrong with any of them. I consider myself a Christian, but that doesn't make me any better than anyone who practices another religion. There is no single way to get it right.

Anything that gets you to love God, love your neighbor, love yourself and live without regrets is the right formula.

The right way to live.

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