Open to Love

I was thinking about my theme for the year. Last year it was “Say Yes,” a phrase that just came to me. I wasn’t as inspired in the beginning weeks of this year, but I found one in yoga, today. Ok, not exactly “found” as it isn’t new thought for me. I’ve been ruminating on it for months.  But I’m ready to have it surface and commit to it. My 2012 theme is “Open to Love.” 

We have two drives within us. Fear and Love. We can act out of either motive and they have adverse affects on each other. Fear wards away love and love can drive away fear. We have a choice every day, in every action, on which to act from.

I have a lot of fear in my life and I know I often act out of it. The 2011 theme “Say Yes,” was an attempt to override this fear and see what happened. The result was a pretty great year. So, I think I’m ready for the next step. Not just to say no to fear, but to welcome love in. Love is at the core of our true underlying nature, yet our experiences and our minds can make it feel foreign, at times. Such is true for me.

I’m blessed to have a lot of love in my life. I have great friends and family that throw love my way. But this doesn’t mean I’m open to it. I allow only so much in. Too much would be scary. That would mean I’d have to be vulnerable and I may get hurt. And I’m a really sensitive person when it comes to love. In order to be “safe,” I need to regulate, was what my heart believed. 

But I’m challenging that. I think I can be both safe and in a place of accepting and receiving love. Part of being open to love is giving love to myself. Accepting my being as worthy and deserving of love. Especially, my own. So, I may get hurt and my heart may feel temporarily “unsafe,” but I can feel that and meet it with love. To myself and others. 

I’m looking forward to exploring this in situations, in actions, in beliefs and in ideas. So here’s to a year full of love and loving life.