It is often said that the Universe is a manifestation and expression of love. “God is love” was a popular slogan of the hippie era (guess at my age?) And before, during and since then, the concept has been duplicated and disseminated in science around the world.
Observing the human condition, my own and others, I found that many people learn the idea of love more easily than they actually experience it. We can easily see these dynamics recreate themselves in our relationships as well as in relationships with friends, family and even fictional characters in books and movies.
These days, the pursuit of love has become a popular model for business interests (think dating services), but rarely what is offered actually leads to an authentic experience of what we are looking for. When we hold onto what we consider love and fail to find it, we may suffer needlessly. Worse, we can also bring suffering to those we care about.
Sometimes I find it helpful to distinguish between love and romance, which are not always analogous. Romance can be very fun – exciting, exciting, uplifting – until we try to build institutions around it.
By trying to create more than is natural, a relationship can become confusing, difficult and even painful. Sure, romance can lead to love, but it can also vanish before it turns into more than a lark.
If we stick to the idea of love where the mere infatuation or the longing for connection and stability is a reality, we may soon find ourselves cooking a fantasy without a proper recipe or, worse, stuck in the mud of an ingredient-less situation for a satisfying relationship.
True love is more than an idea or idea. You know it, and it’s really simple – love is nice. Authentic love permeates what is timeless and timeless, filling you with the primal warmth and illumination of all celestial bodies in the sky.
Love activates the self beyond the ego, unfettered by appearance, wealth, or social graces. True love accepts you as you are, no changes are required. Unconditional love, called agape by the ancient Greeks, is defined as follows: I want the best for you, without the need to reciprocate.
When people really love each other, the relationship awakens their own innate love for each other. This shows that what we are looking for in the other is a mirror image of the lover inside. As such, our relationships are often our best teachers. A love that is never needy, restless or lacking does not convey the hidden message that under the haze of selfish confusion we are, have always been and will always be loved.
It is an awareness of love not as something we do, but as something we are – to realize the inexhaustible force flowing within us, as us and through us, if only we allow it.
A glimmer of divinity, love, is a ray of inner beauty that gives the power to transform the world into a more dazzling and environmentally friendly one. Love is the foundation of creation, the means to fuel passion and wonder and ultimately to create life itself.
It is a sad state of affairs that for many, the inner light of love is hidden in fear and a sense of inadequacy. Some prefer to protect their light from the world, taking guilt from those who say to shine is to be arrogant and vain. Others say our talents should remain masked, hidden from those who may respond with self-denial or envy. Some fear that the kindling of the inner spark creates the specter of rejection or, conversely, the burdensome responsibility for success that is certain to follow.
The suppression of our inclinations and the suppression of our dreams only contradicts ourselves and others from contacting our own inner beauty. Our talents may then remain largely unrealized, dormant in hibernation, unfulfilled and unrecognized for what they are – gifts that require development and practice in order to enrich earthly.
Be brave and dare to shine! There is no point in holding back; by doing this, you are doing yourself and the world no favors. You are literally the embodiment of hidden potential – perhaps an inspiring writer, five-star chef, magician with numbers, persistent negotiator, demanding diplomat, or other laudable expression of the effortless genesis that he seeks in you, as you, and through you.
When you try to express your own unique kind of love, you are reaffirming the respect and self-esteem you were born with. You are also giving permission to others to do the same by inspiring them to express and develop their own talents and abilities to reflect their own. The love that manifests in you as and through you draws others to you, giving you richer experiences and more fulfilling relationships.
To attract more love into your life, do this: Consider whatever you do well, no matter what is impractical, mindless, or unimportant, and write down these things. Then find ways to offer these talents and abilities to others, often applying them in your daily life. These are your gifts, your contribution to humanity, and you were born with them for a purpose.
Create ways and means to use gifts productively and share them with those you meet. You may never fully know what impact you have had on their lives, but you can be sure that when you share the gift of who you are, your true inner beauty shines out in the world, bringing more love and abundance your way.