Just sit there, don’t do a thing, just rest.
For your separation from God,
From Love,
Is the hardest work in this world. – Hafiz, Sufi mystic
The closest thing to my authentic nature is Love. Love is the soothing balm that frees me from fear, the warm breath that makes it all okay, and the flowing river that lets me come and go just as I am. Love often is forgotten as the source of all healing, the bringer of all calm and the way out of what seems like an endless hole. Love is actually a spirit, a force of energy that I can flow with. Fear is also an energy, but one that pushes me against the current of life causing me to fight reality.
I find that I need love to deliver me back to my true self, the self that waits patiently in my heart, breathing in and out of the spirit. My false self, on the other hand, pushes anxiously from my mind, gasping in and out of fear’s grip. When I follow the voice of fear, I often feel like Eve being swayed by that slimy snake. My body tethers with tension while my breath gets stuck in my throat. I hear voices like, "He shouldn’t do that! I have to get what I want! They should see it my way! There’s not enough time." Fear creates a reality I despise.
When I follow love, I can live authentically, because I no longer oppose reality. I live as a spirit, an observer of truth. I allow what is. I see what’s true without negative judgment. I decline fear’s desperate push to see only right or wrong, good or bad, black or white. The moment I choose love, I am free to be myself, follow my bliss and ultimately, spread my joy to others.
When I listen to the voice of love, I feel like an eagle soaring in freedom. My body relaxes and my breath flows easily. I hear voices like, "He did that…hmm?…I am curious what ails him…I’ve done that, too…What do I need to see?…I will be okay with what life brings me…There’s plenty of time." Love creates a reality I wish to be see, because its energy creates peace. Options. Freedom.
What I have found the most imperative on my own healing journey is honesty and actually being with the truth. To shift out of my false self, I have to be willing to look at it openly. The only way I have found to truly be able to do that is through the spirit of love. Before I knew how to love, I couldn’t look at the parts of me I knew weren’t evolved, so I simply used positive affirmation therapy. But saying "I am good enough" over and over – when I haven’t honored the fact that I really didn’t feel good enough – simply kept a long standing wound covered up with a Band-aid. Love lifted off the bandage and looked at my feeling of inadequacy with a smile. Love made my feeling perfectly okay.
When we can face ourselves, each other and our world with non-judgment, we begin to see the truth as simply The Truth. Not right or wrong, but true. Then we stop hiding. We no longer need to be inauthentic, because we can be who we are in any moment. And when we are in the dark or fear places, we can stop and actually see ourselves there with loving light and then gently return our focus to where we desire to be. If we cover up that which we wish not to see, it will only breed more power. Love helps us heal it and move forward.
Love has been defined in many ways, but its greatest expression has often been discarded by fear’s need to stay in charge. What we forget about love, is that love is being in a state of pure allowing. Non-judgment. Acknowledging what’s there. Making things okay. Once we give love the power to do this, then we can act accordingly in any situation, from a place of greater peace.
Recently, some folks crashed into my car in a parking lot. I was in the building at the time and they were waiting for me when I came out. I could tell they were expecting a negative reaction from me, but I just smiled and said, "It’s okay." I could feel the relief in their hearts from my words and the situation was easily taken care of. I allowed what happened, instead of letting my fearful mind control the situation. It didn’t mean it was right or wrong, good or bad, it just was what it was.
Even if they had been careless, love is still the answer. Love says what happened is okay, because it’s what’s true. Fear takes me away from reality, causing everyone involved extra suffering. If I make it okay that they were careless, I give myself and them peace. Peace is what we all seek, not anger or more judgment. Love is the answer to peace. It always has been.
Remember:
- Love allows reality or what "is."
- Love allows me to be how I am.
- Love allows people to be how they are.
- Love allows the flow of life to come and go gently with open arms.
- Love allows someone to be cruel, knowing the cruelty’s root is only fear.
- Love allows me to honor myself and not take on the cruelty of another.
- Love allows me (and others) to follow my heart’s desire.
- Love allows all my behaviors and allows me to change them with greater ease.
- Love allows all possibilities and looks for the balance.
There is nothing closer to authenticity than Love. Love makes things clear. Love is the Truth, the Way, and your Life.
Lisa will be offering a seven-week series based on her workbook, "Growing Your Spirit of Love," starting Tuesday evenings on January 17. Learn to identify what fear voices and emotions block you and how to follow the spiritual energy of Love. Cultivate easy techniques and meditations to shift out of a reality you don’t want. The cost is $175. See www.lisavenable.com for more information or call (612) 250-7859 to pre-register.
