Notes on Love.

Love. 

This can be such a confusing word. Although it’s a small, it’s packed with big meaning.

We don’t often stop and think, what does this word, this feeling mean to me? We don’t question it. We might not think about it at all… we just know it!

Maybe it’s been awhile since we’ve asked ourselves these basic questions about love:

• What is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of the word love?
• Do you feel love is synonymous with romantic love?
• If love was a pie, how big is the romantic love slice to you?
• Do you put all your stock in the romantic love slice or maybe none at all?
• Do you limit who you love and how much based on how the person behaves or who the person is?

Take some time and contemplate these questions and the answers that come up.

If we don’t define what love means for us, our society and our culture will define it for us without our knowing it. It becomes a set of beliefs we just accepted awhile back.

As we grow up,  we see love play out  in various forms and it can be confusing. We look around us for examples of love and often it doesn’t show up how we thought it would.

We see love demonstrated  in the movies yet somehow we still don’t have that. Not like that!

Well, if I had that, then I’d be so happy and fulfilled!  One day… Someday I’ll find that soulmate…and everything will be ok.

Programmed by the Princess Story and other stories, we’re told to wait for the hero to show up on the white horse.

Yes, then I’ll have it. He will get me! She will just know me and be everything I have hoped for.

We may believe without a doubt this is a true story and go through our lives slightly anxious that we settled or we’ll never find THAT.

Even though I have it good, it’s not romance novel good! And I want nothing less! Or, I’m simple. Just give me simple!

The quest is so insatiable!

You may eventually give up on the white horse as you age in years, but the belief might still be there…You may not even be aware it’s there.

Let’s look even deeper.

Maybe there’s a deep longing inside. It feels like it comes from the core. We are searching for the essence of love that has no conditions….

Just take me as I am. No agenda. No price to pay….does that exist?

Unconditional love …

We all want it. We might not give it. We want to give it but don’t know how. I believe it’s something we all have the capacity for. It’s built in to us and ready to be expressed if we can just get out of our own way.

It may seem impossible. How could I ever love without expectations? Don’t I get love by giving it? If I don’t get it back, then I will withhold it.

Maybe we are exposing our own unconscious beliefs about love, what it is, how it should feel and where we get it from.

I invite you to look a bit deeper. Perhaps love is not some limited thing to give away in tiny amounts based on merit.  Maybe love is not what you do but who you are and how you live. And by loving, first yourself without condition, you can then fully step into that love with others.

Below is series of words I strung together on the topic. They are simply words that to me capture the essence of love.

Love
Meeting of another soul
that makes you come alive inside.

Not because of who they are
because of who you are.

Love is
seeing in another
the love you have in yourself.

True love is
without conditions, this or that
it’s complete, whole, simple, pure.

Love is without boundaries, color, time or place
its expansive, clear and warm.

Like the sun, love just gives of itself
shines on us all
with no expectation of anything in return.
On the rich and the poor
through the rain, storms and snow
There’s no where to go
in love.

True love in not a sacrifice
you’re not giving it away

Soul love
does not hide when it gets too strong
nor does it settle in the dark.

Love is bright, yet subtle
warm, yet a cool breeze.
soft and tender
as strong as a mountain

Love has no expectations
no strings attached
you love and let go
never hold on
there is no possession in love
its a gift, a treasure
yet it is not ours to give.

True love is not exclusive or selective
its for all, and of all
A knowing

Love is selfless and wants nothing
love overflows
and cuts through even the hardest of stones.

Love has no boundaries
it does not come and go with the passing day.
its steady, calm and wise.

True love is living in essence.

To love is to know without a doubt
we are One, we are Whole, we are Complete.
All souls we love are not out there
They’re within us.

For love is a collection of what we are
an understanding
a coming home to where we’ve always been
This is love.