The Courage To LOVE

Children are our greatest teachers. They openly share their knowledge and understanding about something that sometimes eludes us as adults. They show us how to LOVE.

They don’t think about it, analyze it, control or monitor it because it is my belief that love is their natural state. They just share it openly and without any restrictions or expectations.

As adults we sometimes struggle with love. Because of painful experiences we start to go further and further away from our natural state. As an adult, it sometimes takes great COURAGE to LOVE.

Love doesn’t come with guarantees; it can hurt so there is risk involved. But children take that risk willingly, without any thought, every single day. They don’t see it as a risk but rather as a way of life.

I am, therefore, I love.

It’s so simple and yet adults make it complicated. We become fearful of something that is at the very core of our being. We monitor, regulate, hide, block, or mask our love. We censor it or just don’t invest in it at all! We make a choice to keep within what we deem as emotionally safe. We become so scared of being hurt, we shut down.

But is that experiencing life with all the colors?

Being a teacher and witnessing the love of children, I don’t think so.

I had the enormous pleasure of teaching a class of exceptional young people this weekend. Some of the students knew each other and some did not. Within an hour these kids were chatting, laughing, hugging and embracing each other. They immediately became friends because their HEARTS ARE OPEN.

LOVE IS ENERGY. Expressing LOVE brings great JOY to those who give and to those who receive.

I would rather hurt from loving someone than never have experienced love at all. I would rather EXPRESS LOVE than stifle it. EMBRACE LOVE than block it. I understand I hurt mySELF far more by dimming my love than by sharing my love.

I am; therefore, I love.

I have been cut to the core with betrayal, lies, criticism, anger, rejection and meanness. I’ve loved and been hurt by lovers, family and friends but I don’t regret loving them. I feel sad I wasn’t loving mySELF at those times and that is my lesson.

Love starts from within and resonates from there.

I will leave you with an excerpt from an incredible boy who has since passed away. His name is Mattie Stepanek and this is from his poem Heartsong:

My Heartsong sounds like this ~

I love you! I love you!

How happy you can be!

How happy you can make

This whole world be!

…This is my special song

But do you know what?

All people have a special song

Inside their hearts!

Everyone in the whole wide world

Has a special Heartsong.

If you believe in magical, musical hearts,

And if you believe you can be happy,

Then you, too, will hear your song.

Let your Heartsong be heard openly, spontaneously, passionately, lovingly, JOYfully, loudly, courageously, respectfully, softly, gently and authentically.

I AM; therefore, I LOVE.

With a smile and loving heart,

Tina

PS. I speak about toxic love and a painful past in my book “The Decision” and how I changed it around to now experiencing love, joy and happiness on a daily and continual basis. If you want to learn how I did that, please click HERE.