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Boldly Love Where Your Love Has Never Gone Before
- "You don't know what love is." That's what Ginny said to Forest in the movie "Forest Gump". At the end of the movie when he told her, " I do know what love is Ginny," we all knew that he did.
"Love always shows up." That's what someone said to me years ago when I was questioning another's love for me. That person didn't show up for me, but Forest did for Ginny. He consistently loved without the question "what's in it for me." Instead he boldly loved, without guilt or need, because he knew himself and was clear about his intent and purpose.
A few years ago I wrote an article called "Disguising Ourselves As Human" (link below). But, it's more than just disguising ourselves as human. We disguise ourselves in much more basic ways. We disguise ourselves as our jobs, our past, our family, our race, and our sex: the list is endless. And every one of these disguises keeps us from completely showing up for those we love, beginning with ourselves. When we show up for other people as part of our disguise it is not love, it is escape.
Life gives us moments that we can seize to learn more about boldly loving instead of escaping to "good deeds." Recently I have had to move very slowly and even sit down all day and let Del take care of me. It was hard. I am used to getting up, doing things, keeping busy, helping out, seeing what others need, and in general escaping in my disguise as efficient and caring. Letting Del take care of me revealed my disguise to myself - I am sure he already knew.
When I was in my 20s I read a quote by Dag Hammarskjold, the Secretary General of the United Nations that I have never forgotten, but have often forget to apply. Mr. Hammarskjold was awarded the Noble Peace Prize posthumously in 1961. I tell you this so there can be no misunderstanding about his meaning. He said, "It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses."
We make love much more complicated. We escape from this kind of bold love through our disguises and in our "duties" to mankind and others. We mistake big events as something important and miss out on the small events that mean so much more. Loving boldly is about loving consistently in every day life.
Mr Hammarskjold also said, "The "great commitment" is so much easier than the ordinary, everyday one--and can all too easily shut our hearts to the latter. A willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice can be associated with, and even produce, a great hardness of heart. "
It is oh so easy to hide in the excitement of a big plan, and it is oh so dangerous to forget that real love is simple, powerful, effective, consistent and ultimately the victor over every circumstance that would claim otherwise.
Look into your life. Is it what you meant it to be? Do you know who loves you? Do you love boldly and consistently in the little things? Are you making choices based on success measured by money, fame or guilt?
As we face situations, both large and small, it is a focus on the boldness of love that will heal any situation. Boldness that stems from the principle of Love does not begin in fear. It flows from an unshakable awareness of its ultimate power over all that does not appear as love. If we are not afraid for ourselves, we are not afraid for others. Showing up as Love is what we will do naturally.
Focusing on what is true love, we can easily see what is not. We will demand that it be corrected within ourselves first and as a result we will not accept anything less than true bold love in others. We will stop making decisions that are based on fear, greed, or personal need.
Forest may have said, "Life is like a box of chocolates" but his love held no surprises; he lived boldly and consistently and acting from love he always "showed up."
Shifting With You,
Beca
Disguising Ourselves As Human
Beca Lewis ©2005
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*Article by Beca Lewis author of Living in Grace: The Shift to Spiritual Perception. Visit The Shift for more original content like this. Reprint permission granted with this footer included.