LOVE ... All Ways & Always

It may not be a secret, that I’m a huge fan of LOVE.

In my work, I’m often asked; “What if choosing LOVE feels hard”? How can I give LOVE to another who brought me pain? How can I LOVE myself when I don’t really like what I see? How I can trust that romantic LOVE will last?

My response is always the same … that when choosing LOVE feels especially hard, is the very moment we need to choose it the most. When we feel lonely, or afraid, unworthy, unheard, or undeserved, our soul suffers deeply. And the luminous truth of who we are at our deepest core; lies in our astonishing capacity to give and receive compassion, empathy, joy, gratitude, hope and healing through the powerful force and frequency of LOVE.

And because we’re all so interconnected and stitched together in this wild, weird and wonderous tapestry called life, when you choose LOVE for yourself, you energetically show up as LOVE to those around you and infuse LOVE into all you do.

LOVE is a choice that begins with us.

If we want to experience happiness, we must take responsibility for our own happiness.

If we want peace in the world, we must begin with our own inner peace.

If we want people to be kind, we must be that kindness to ourselves and others.

If we desire LOVE, we can start by choosing it for ourselves.

It’s not always easy. In fact, sometimes it can seem supremely impossible. Betrayal, abandonment, trauma, withholding, grief, unrequited love, can all take a toll on the heart. Healing seasons of care, compassion and support are necessary for us to tend to ourselves.

And with each new day, we are gifted the invitation to begin.

And so, today, on this global day when LOVE is on the minds and hearts of so many, I extend an invitation for you to share your LOVE in all ways. To your Self, your nearest, your dearest, your children, your lover, your friends, pets, co-workers, neighbors, total strangers, your community, and beam it out into the world.

It doesn’t have to be extravagant or complicated. Be generous with your hellos, and smiles. Call your friends and tell them one thing you so appreciate about them. Hold open doors for everyone. Read/write/share poems of joy, hope and adoration to yourself and your beloveds. Draw hearts and leave them on random windshields. Share a gift from your garden or your kitchen. Make your kids breakfast, lunch or dinner heart-shaped everything. Light candles of peace and healing for this hurting world. Pick up litter. Thank the earth for holding us in such beauty and medicine.

We humans are simply amazing, and we are always better together. We can truly be whatever we want. We just have to want it enough to choose it for ourselves. And I can personally attest that choosing LOVE will not only change your entire life and your relationships, it is the possibility that will change our world.

We could absolutely, live any way we wanted to. Free will, the power of choice, your “sacred yes” and all that. Many years ago, I grew weary and stopped listening to the world story that sounded like hate, harm, hurt. I felt that for my whole life, and in so many ways, I had been shown and told that story over and over again; the one about the terror and the horror of humanity. Instead, I began listening to the story of possibility that lived inside of me. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the story where our care and kindness; our LOVE is what brings us together, versus our suffering.

We can write and be those LOVE stories. Truly, madly, deeply.

It all begins with you and me.

Sending Big Love & Happy Valentines’ Day from my Heart to Yours.

Jo xx