Love without Fear

I love without fear.
I love without bounds.
I love even though I have been hurt.
I love and know I am always loved.

You are expansive beyond what you can see. Every urge, every longing, every heart-felt sensation, is answered by the Universe. Since the day you were born, you have been a spinning orb of energy, and the love you crave, the feeling of peace and safety, the feeling of "rightness", is already inside you. Your own longings are like beacons pointing you to truth.

Your desires are not an accident. Your desire to pursue a dream, to have a healthy relationship, to love yourself fiercely, are all within you because they are possible. Nothing is out of reach. Nothing is "too much". There is also nothing you have done wrong or inadequate along the way that would make you unworthy of your desires.

Our hearts close. For various reasons and circumstances, and because it is a natural response to threat, our hearts close. We forget the joy and fulfillment that come from walking this Earth with an open heart. We are more comfortable in the longing, unwilling to risk any pain or discomfort.

Here is a secret about love. We do not need any person, circumstance, or outcome in order to experience an open heart. We do not need a perfect relationship, or a soul-mate. We do not need our dream career. We do not need anything to be "perfect".

To experience love, we only need an open heart.

What does an open heart look like, feel like, act like? An open heart softens at the sight of a cute puppy. An open heart stands in awe of the moving clouds and a painted sunset. An open heart lifts upward when a good song comes on. An open heart sings. An open heart dances. An open heart does not care if anyone is watching.

There are small ways to wiggle a heart open - glimpse by glimpse, little by little, we may experience the wonder of our existence. At a particularly inspiring moment, a fond memory, a person, or simply because we allow it, we can sense our heart opening. I am sure you have experienced this, even if just for a moment. Something made you smile or laugh. Something made you feel like everything was going to be alright. Often after a yoga or meditation, I feel a complete shift in my nature, because my heart has just opened.

Not only are we able to "feel" love with an open heart, we are also able to make better decisions - for ourself and for others. Leading with the heart means acting in ways that will benefit everyone. Sometimes we need to take care of ourself, and our actions reflect that self-love. Sometimes we need to take care of others, and our actions will reflect that too.

An open heart behaves with no conditions, no resentments, no grudges and no payback.

The times I have felt my heart break wide open - from love or from pain - have been the most eye opening, grace-filled, and inspiring moments of my life. My biggest fear after a painful experience is that my heart will never open again, and I will never feel the wondrous sensation of staring at a sunset, of wishing on a star, or of placing my own hands on my own heart, and whispering sincerely, "I love you".

The path to love is to remember your own capacity for unconditional love. No one even needs to know. Unconditional love does not mean being nice to everyone, hanging out with everyone, or liking everyone. Leading with love and acting with an open heart simply means you compassionately un-attach from someone else's experience.

Your experience, is love.