LOVE vs FEAR: Two Sides of the Same Coin
By Reverend Akasha Lonsdale, Interfaith Minister
• Beautiful images “that lift our spirits”
• The birth of a baby
• Children really laughing
• Strength in adversity
• Being with a loved one at a special moment
• A beautiful starlit sky
• The unconditional generosity of another
And many more.......
Love is not soft and soppy. The love I refer to embraces: Honesty; Integrity; Respect; Open-ness; Genuine-ness; Truth; Courage; Authenticity; Joy; Generosity; Laughter; Stillness; Freedom; Clarity; Willingness; Sharing; Compassion and Empathy. (I have not included Tolerance as I always feel this infers that there is something to "be put up with" - which by default means there is a right and a wrong.)
It is a felt sense – the sense of expansion – when the heart feels full. When love is present, tenderness and strength co-exist. People may be moved to tears by its power but tears can be of joy and relief too. We may feel vulnerable but the paradox is this:
VULNERABILITY IS TRUE STRENGTH.
How can that be? Because when we are vulnerable, we are open, exposed, REAL. We are in the flow of the river of life, not swimming against it. We surrender, we fall into ourselves and within we find the Love that is there – has always been there – the eternally burning light. The light that is. The light that will never go out – no matter how dark life sometimes gets. It is said that the “darkest hour is just before dawn” – many times though, great insights and change come after a “dark night of the soul”.
DRAMAS AND TRAUMA’s
It is as if we create the dramas and traumas in life to challenge us to look within and begin taking us back to that place we know. A time of “re-membering”, “re-joicing”. The parting of the 70,000 veils – to reveal the inner treasure – LOVE. No judgements, no criticisms, no anger, no bitterness, no recriminations. Just Love, all embracing, all encompassing, all knowing, never ending Love. Love that cradles us like a parent with a new-born child. Love that holds us in our pain. Love that sometimes creates the pain so that we may grow. Love that wraps around us like a beautiful cloak.
SELF AWARENESS
As you journey with yourself, get to know yourself better, be kinder to yourself, more open, more generous, tolerant, compassionate with yourself, so you become that way with others. It is a natural evolutionary process. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap”.
Through this process barriers can be broken down, conflict resolved and communication become authentic. Win/Win is possible when Right/Wrong are not part of the equation.
THE SHADOW
When we point the finger at others, when we label them Bad or Evil…..it is we who have missed the point. By focusing outwards on how others seem to be, we don’t look within. We don’t acknowledge the shadow parts of us. The parts that can be spiteful, vengeful, angry, dismissive, shut down, rejecting. We like to think that we would never behave like “they” have behaved. But….there is always a potential killer in us. A mother to protect her child is a classic example.
Often we dress our shadow in a mantle of self-righteousness and self justification. Worse, we just believe that we are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT and all views opposed to ours are WRONG and BAD. Then Love is lost and we are in a contracted place.
KNOW THYSELF
These are turbulent and sometimes frightening times…..but as with all adversity it contains the opportunity for all of us to learn and grow. Take time to look at yourself. “Know Thyself” said the Oracle at Delphi. Ancient Wisdom that is even more important in our modern world. There are many ways to do this but the journey starts when the intention is set, and I like to believe that every step to inner peace is another step towards world peace.
Reverend Akasha Lonsdale (www.simplydivineceremonies.com) is an Interfaith Minister and Psychotherapist with over 30 years experience helping others to deal with all areas of life. She is also author of the popular self-help book “How to do Life – powerful pointers for powerful living”, and the newly published (Kuperard, London 2010) “Do I Kneel or Do I Bow?: What You Need to Know When Attending Religious Occasions”. She is also the writer/narrator of the highly effective CD “Bliss Out – serious relaxation”
© Reverend Akasha Lonsdale 2008. This article may be reproduced in full providing that it includes the above biography and website link.
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