January 2005 – Giving Love

GIVING LOVE

Giving love, even when it is not given to us, is true love. It must not matter whether it is returned to us or not. If I give love only to get a response on my terms, my love is cancelled out. If I have the capacity to give love, any return I get for it is a special bonus. It is through giving love freely, without expectation of return– that we find ourselves, build ourselves spiritually.

Areas to respond with love:

  • When someone cuts you off in traffic
  • When someone is being slow in line at the grocery store
  • When your child (or anyone) breaks something sentimental to you
  • When someone makes a sarcastic comment to you
  • When someone’s opinion is different than yours
  • When someone betrays you

Extending love to a complete stranger.
Love is a universal lesson, every religion and philosophy preaches of love:

  • The first two commandments are about love (Love thy God, and Love thy neighbor as thyself) which all the other commandments are built on.

If we remember that we are connected to each other, we are part of a whole universe it is easier to extend your love beyond your family and friends.

Albert Einstein
A human being is part of the whole called the “universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion . . . consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in all its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
Excerpt from the book “Everyday Grace” by Marianne Williamson

Having trouble giving love in some circumstances? Then you have to love that you are NOT loving it! Find love in the situation SOMEWHERE. Love that they are an asshole and they are good at that, love that you feel anger but you know it will pass, love that you have a higher level of awareness . . . finding something to love will get you out of the negative consequences of remaining in resentment, anger, or hate.

What is love?
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not selfseeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices www.ncmh.info/ativan-lorazepam/ with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails . . .
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13

The other side of Love . . . PAIN. Sometimes love comes with pain. Remember heart pain is not meant to break our hearts in half, but wide open. When we experience pain, generally it is for our growth. We can use that pain as an excuse –play the victim, or we can learn and grow from it.

The following is from Carolyn Myss (reference her book, “Anatomy of the Spirit”.)
The chakra system is the yogic philosophy that our body stores information about our lives. We have seven main “storage areas” in our body (each of the coincides with a plexus). The fourth chakra is the chakra of love.

The Fourth Chakra, The Heart Chakra
The heart is the central powerhouse of the human energy system. Heart chakra energy is emotional in nature and helps propel our emotional development. This chakra embodies the spiritual lesson that teaches us how to act out of love and compassion and to recognize the most powerful energy we have is love.

We are not born fluent in love but spend our life learning about it. Its energy is pure power. We are as attracted to love as we are intimidated by it. We are motivated by love, controlled by it, inspired by it, healed by it, and destroyed by it. Each of life’s challenges is a lesson in some aspect of love. Everything in and about our lives runs off the fuel of our hearts. We will all have experiences meant to break our hearts, not in half – BUT WIDE OPEN. Regardless of how your heart is broken, you have a choice: will you use it as an excuse? Or can you learn from it?

You lose love energy when you:

  • Allow past negative experiences to limit your choices
  • When you hold onto resentments
  • When you don’t allow others to love you.

Fears of loneliness, commitment, and following one’s heart are primary fears of this chakra. Loss of energy can give rise to jealousy, bitterness, anger, hatred, and an inability to forgive others as well as yourself.

Ways to reinforce love energy:

  • Forgive others (forgiveness=not wishing the past was different)
  • Love yourself
  • Love others enough to let them experience the world in their own way

The strengths of this chakra are love, forgiveness, compassion, dedication, inspiration, hope, trust, and the ability to heal.

Did you know your heart is the strongest muscle in your body? . . . This is so you can give lots of love.

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