Love is formidable, and that power is available to us when our hearts remain open and vulnerable. When we close our hearts, we protect that tender place where discovery and intimacy bloom. There is an impetus, I think, to repel others when we feel threatened because tender places are usually fragile; we think that if we keep our hearts open when a friend or lover attacks, or when we feel hurt or frightened we will end up wounded. However true this may feel, the truth is that love is the most potent, resilient energy in the world.
By working towards keeping our hearts open in those moments when we are feeling tenuous, love is able to slip in and show us how to be courageous, humble , and compassionate. Allowing this magnificent energy to reign, allows for empowering and transformative solutions to difficult situations.
The challenge is to hold on to love in moments that feel like broken glass, where the colors are dulling and our ego is threatened. To keep one's heart open, to feel the stabbing shards, the shame or guilt, and not shy away or retaliate with violent words or actions, may be one of the most difficult choices we make. But, if we can breathe through the resistance, and do it anyway, countless blessings await to flourish in our relational gardens.
Dream, breathe, go to the cliff of breaking, and allow your heart to dilate. Like giving birth to a precious child, our decision to remain open may be terrifying, but by allowing this process to unfold gradually, patiently, we experience the miracle of falling more deeply, more daringly, more fully in love with our selves and the world around us.
"May we not succumb to thoughts of violence and revenge today, but rather to thoughts of mercy and compassion. We are to love our enemies that they might be returned to their right minds." ~Marianne Williamson
"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love." ~Max Muller
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~Lao Tzu
"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." ~Mother Teresa
