The way to find love is to be love, which is just another way of saying be who you are. You are not lovable because someone loves you. You are not without love if someone doesn’t love you. It is not possible to be without love or to be unlovable. It is only possible to […]
Talk less, listen moreJudge less, love more A mantra is a word or short phrase that focuses your attention. It can be a sacred mantra that connects you to the divine. It can be a brief, inspiring quote. It can be a reminder or guide to keep you focused on what is most important to
Everything we hold on to will be relinquished. The people we love, the things we have, the beliefs we defend, the identities we treasure, the bodies we inhabit – all will be left behind. Like the great closing sale of life – everything must go! Every loss we fear will come to pass. What does
In Greek mythology, Arachne was a highly skilled weaver. So confident was she of her talent that she bragged her weaving was more beautiful than that of the goddess Athena. Athena did not take kindly to the comparison. She approached Arachne disguised as an old woman and issued this warning: “I have had much experience
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Self-improvement is big business. It permeates our culture and our psyches. We are bombarded by messages of not-quite-good-enoughness from every direction, as well as promises of how to be better in every imaginable way. And it’s hard to argue that being healthier, happier, smarter, kinder, holier, and so on, would be a bad thing. There
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Before enlightenment chop wood carry water. After enlightenment chop wood carry water. ~Zen saying Reflecting the wisdom of this saying, Jack Kornfield titled one of his books “After the Ecstasy, the Laundry.” The point of both the saying and the title is that we might have peak mystical experiences of awakening, but then it’s time
The Ecstasy Is IN the Laundry Read More »
I ran across this phrase recently. It caught my attention because I love the word abide. Looking up its etymology, I found that it carries with it a sense of “waiting onward.” I loved that too. Not waiting passively or impatiently, but with an attitude of alert attention, open receptivity, readiness to engage fully with
Several years ago, the desire to know, to merge, with the Divine Beloved was so strong within me that I knew without that union, nothing else would ever be enough. And so I wrote this prayer: BelovedOh to feel your touch of graceI ache for your embrace of compassionTake me to yourselfLose me in the
An Answered Prayer Read More »
For a number of years, I used a non-dominant-hand writing method to access inner wisdom and guidance. Once, as my left hand was writing about seeing through all illusion to the reality of truth, I was counseled not only to see the truth, but to “live the seeing.” Curious phrasing, but the advice stuck with
I haven’t had a word of the year for a decade. In an illustration of cosmic humor of the universe, my last word of the year was in 2013 and my word was “wait.” But as 2013 came to a close, no new word came for 2014. Now, ten years later, as 2023 drew to
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Tonight is winter solstice, the longest night. Tomorrow the light returns just as winter begins. How perfect. A few days ago, I sat on a driftwood log, watching the seagulls swoop over the waves crashing on the shore. All I could think was, “Thank you, God, for letting me live long enough to have this
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I was describing to someone how working on the last stages of my new book as I was preparing for cancer surgery this summer really helped me stay centered. Reading and rereading the chapters to edit and proofread kept the content of the book front and center in my consciousness and was a constant and
This Shit Really Works Read More »
Not long ago, I was contemplating whether to reach out to someone with whom I had had a falling out, who as a result had cut off communication with me. Months had gone by, and I thought perhaps I might offer a simple message, without expectation of response, just to let the other person know
We spend a lot of time and energy focused on loving others. We love our families and friends. We love our pets. We love our neighbors as ourselves. We even love our enemies, or at least try to. But many of us don’t think much of opening ourselves up to receive love. Why is that?
I began this year every morning saying a prayer I wrote asking for liberation, whatever it takes. When people asked me what I meant by liberation, I said I wanted to release anything and everything that blocked my awareness and experience of union with the divine. I recommitted myself to my practice of allowing, trusting,
Liberation Looks Like Love Read More »
Reason says, the world is limited in six directions There is no way out Love says, there is a way And I have traveled it many times ~Rumi When we are unsure about something, or making a decision, or figuring something out, or choosing a course of action, we often turn to reason. We make lists of pros and
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Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things. ~Philippians 4:8 Since the beginning of the year, I have paid a lot more attention to my thoughts. Many of us
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The journey from teaching about love to allowing myself to be loved proved much longer than I realised. ~Henri Nouwen As a spiritual practice, “allowing” is often described as an acceptance of what is. We sometimes think of this acceptance of reality as not struggling against something that we don’t like. But we overlook the
Allowing Ourselves to Receive Love Read More »
Kiss gently with compassion All that come to you The babe and the crone The beggar and the king The wise and the foolish The angry and the meek The joyful and the grieved The fearful and the brave Touch all their hearts with love And smile sweetly to their soul Embrace them with forgiveness And send them on with blessing
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“Judge not,” said Jesus. Two words, not hard to understand. Yet, by all appearances, almost impossible to obey, even by, sometimes especially by, those who claim to follow the teacher who said them. I don’t think this teaching discourages using good judgment or discernment. I think it is cautioning us against setting ourselves apart by
I’m Here to Love You Read More »