Love
LOVE
The article is focused on Love. And Love is what this world needs so
badly in these days of violence and strife. If we cultivate love in our
personal lives and radiate outwardly the peace and joy within our
hearts, we can have a collective positive effect globally.
WHAT IS LOVE?
Love is our greatest need. Is it our highest most fulfilling state? Do we really love or are we simply attached to, identified with or dependent upon the persons we "love" Is our love free and unconditional, or is it mixed with various needs, conditions and demands?
What is unconditional love? Is it possible for us to cultivate it?
What is the difference between love and attachment?
How can we determine whether what we feel is love or attachment?
How can we purify our love and move into a
higher level of consciousness?
These are some of the many questions that we need to answer in order to
create happiness.
Defining Love
Love is a very difficult word to define, perhaps because its reality
approaches spiritual dimensions, which are beyond time and space,
andthus, our comprehension.
Love is perhaps more easily described by what it is not. Love is not
fear, hurt, pain, jealousy, bitterness, hate, separateness, lust,
attachment, aggressiveness, ego-enteredness, indifference,
possessiveness, suppression - the list goes on.
Love, like God, peace and other spiritual realities, can be perceived
more easily through the effects that it creates. We cannot see the
wind, but we can see its effects, such as the leaves moving, branches
swaying, or the sound of air rushing. We know wind exists by its
various side effects. We know there is a Creator because we perceive
its effect - creation itself.
What then are the effects of love? Love creates feelings of unity. We
feel toward others as we feel towards ourselves. We are as interested
in their welfare, happiness, success, health and spiritual growth as
much as we are about our own. Loving others means wanting them to be
happy in whatever ways they are guided to their happiness. It breeds
understanding, compassion, forgiveness, happiness, excitement, peace,
joy, fulfillment and a desire to be helpful in any way we can.
Love is expansion beyond our ego limitations. It is the ability to
identify with the other, to let go of
our self-interest and personal needs enough to really hear and
understand the other’s needs and interests. It means caring enough to
sacrifice, when necessary, our own pleasures and desires when the
other’s needs are obviously more important.
Love is the force that brings about unity and harmony. It is the "glue"
of the universe. It helps persons with different egos, desires,
programmings and needs to overcome all those potentially repelling
forces and unite.
Love needs not so much to be learned or cultivated, but rather released
or brought from within us to the surface. We are love. Our basic nature
is love. However, our ignorance, fear and attachment have buried it so
deeply within us that it is sometimes difficult to summon or maintain.
Loving others steadily, independently of their behavior, is not an easy
achievement.
Love versus Need
The power of attraction which we call love is expressed on many levels
and in countless ways. The most basic level is that of need. We often
use the word love when we really mean, "need".
We say, "I love you." But, if we analyze ourselves deeply, we will
realize learn we really mean, "I need you." This is the basic message
of most love songs. They lament with sadness, pain, agony and cry out
"you left me, I cannot live without you. I need you."
This is not the highest form of love. It is love mixed with need,
attachment and addiction. If it were pure love and the other was
happier by leaving us or even happier with someone else, we would be
happy for him or her, not full of sadness for ourselves. Loving others
means wanting them to be happy, healthy and successful in the ways that
they are guided to be.
Love does not create the pain we feel when someone leaves us or rejects
us. That pain is generated by our dependency upon that person for our
security, pleasure or affirmation.
Needs and attachments create fear, pain and suffering.
Love creates happiness, fulfillment and the experience of our True
Selves.
***********************************************************************
How to Love Yourself?
Stop All Criticism - Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to
criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody
changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When
you
approve of yourself, your changes are positive.
Don't Scare Yourself - Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts.
It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you
pleasure (mine is yellow roses), and immediately switch your scary
thought to a pleasure thought.
Be Gentle And Kind And Patient - Be gentle with
yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn
the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you
really loved.
Is Kind To Your Mind - Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts.
Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your
thoughts.
Praise Yourself - Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds
it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you
are doing with every little thing.
Support Yourself - Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends
and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you
need it.
Be Loving To Your Negatives - Acknowledge that you created them to
fulfill a need. Now, you are finding new, positive ways to
fulfill those needs. So, lovingly release the old negative patterns.
Take Care Of Your Body - Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does
your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about
exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the
temple you live in.
Mirror Work - Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of
love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking into the mirror.
Talk to your parents looking into the mirror. Forgive them too. At
least once a day say: "I love you, I really love you."
Love Yourself.
Do It Now - Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get
the new job, or the new relationship.
Begin now -- and do the best you can.
posted by Anna Wayne @ 9:34 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home