Love is the ultimate truth

Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali poet and Nobel Prize winner, is quoted as saying, “Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict.”

In one sense, this concept seems so easy to grasp, so simple and so obvious, especially to those of us leading a conscious, intentional life.

But our world, on a global scale, needs a reminder.

Much of the strife we experience and witness today is because of ideas of false separation, ones that enable people to behave in ways that dehumanize, exploit, and divide.

But together, we who live in Oneness and with the Divine energy of the Universe working through us, can be a collective force for change.

Take a deep breath in and for a moment imagine the ideal world where everyone understands Oneness and Love is the great motivator…

Then imagine thousands and thousands of people coming together from all over the globe to hold this intention, to expand awareness, to change the frequency, to hit the metaphorical reset button.  

This is, in fact, the focus of “The Power of Love: Resetting Humanity to a New Way of Living on the Earth,” the 11th annual Global Oneness Summit and the first-ever International Shout Out Love Day…

You as you are right now are loved in your entirety

The Divine, God, Infinite Intelligence, Infinite Light and Love, cannot wait to be fully manifest in human form. You are that human. You are that being. We are here at this moment in human history to finally allow ourselves to end the opposition to ourselves at the level of our emotions, at the level of our body, at the level of our mind, and at the level of life and living. 

The more we are able to come into profound acceptance and love of self, the more we open up to this universal love that we have come here to share. 

You see, you’re not the problem. You never have been. It’s just that you’ve been looking for validation and approval outside of you. And, for the most part, you’ve been looking for validation, love and approval, from people who don’t validate themselves, love themselves, or approve of themselves. And herein lies the rub; in your showing up, as the totality of who you are, the message that gets reinforced externally all around you is that you are not enough, that there’s something wrong with you, that you need to be healed, that you’re broken in some way. 

Care erases the walls we build between us.

After almost seventy years, I confess that though I have struggled I have never been lost and have never stopped loving—everything. And this has enabled me to inhabit life authentically. In the beginning, there were goals I was taught to work toward and these longings for worth were honed in time into personal ambitions, which all fell away. For staying true to the love of everything as our teacher has turned out to be the most enduring ambition of all. This love has made me get up when I have fallen, and has given me the strength to enter the breaks in my heart where I have retrieved my gifts. And so, I have very little to offer beyond the confirmation that unending love without preference will lead us to drink from the Mystery without leaving the world. Unending love without intent will fill every contour of existence the way light fills every hole. So, there is very little to teach. Just that love awakens everything. And care erases the walls we build between us.

The Narcissist in Us All

It is very common for people to latch onto specific labels and diagnosis and attempt to determine what is “wrong” with someone in their life. Narcissism is one such label and diagnosis that is used by people to describe people who may show signs of being selfish, uncaring, or lacking in empathy, compassion, and understanding of others.

Around the world, the number of individuals with true narcissism, or more correctly those with narcissistic personality disorder, is less than one percent of the population. The chances of most people interacting with a true narcissist are very low, and everyone’s ex-spouse is certainly not a narcissist.

However, many mental health experts propose that there is a spectrum or a range of behaviors or traits individuals may use throughout their life that are associated with narcissism. How frequently these traits crop up, when they occur, and if the individual continues to use the behavior is critical in making a diagnosis.

The Narcissist in Us All 

When you are connected to your soul – you are linked to a higher power.

It’s hard to believe we’re now in our sixth month of quarantine life. Just the notion of this is getting us more antsy and anxious. The new school year has begun and our worries are compounding, whether it’s centered around the safety of our teachers and students heading back into the classrooms or how much longer we have to wait before some normalcy comes back into our lives.

But while your outside world is full of uncertainty, there is one resource you can always rely on, one constant force that will throw you a lifeline and keep you afloat during these chaotic times—your Soul!

Your soul is always connected to a Higher Source. (When I talk about “Source” I mean God, the Universe, or a Higher Consciousness – call it what you will.) This is the power that will move you beyond feeling trapped, constrained, unfulfilled or alone.

I know that many of you are concerned about what’s going on right now in the world and in your own life. Whatever it may be: fear, uncertainty, injustice, intolerance, financial worry, relationship troubles, or health concerns. Maybe you’re feeling like you don’t belong anywhere or you’re losing hope. Maybe you want some answers to the many questions filling your head: What can I do? Why am I here? How do I get out of this mess? It’s important at times like these to remain connected to your soul. When you are connected to your soul – you are linked to a higher power.

Reveal the divinity of who you are.

There is nothing wrong with you. You don’t need to be fixed, healed or changed. You are love itself. At some point, we have to begin to question the conditioning that has been superimposed over the pristine love that we have come here to be. 

You’re not here to get rid of everything. You’re here to love everything. And in loving everything, you are here to reveal the divinity that lives inside of you so powerfully that your presence alone serves as a reminder to every human being that they too are a divinity personified. 

For far too long, we have lived in this false notion of God being separate, apart, and different than us. We have been conditioned to believe that we are unworthy, that there is something wrong with us, that we are broken, that we need to be healed and improved. All of that has served as a mechanism through which humanity has been disempowered. 

Self-Abandonment Is Handed Down Through Families

Lauren, a client of mine, has been practicing Inner Bonding for a number of years but she was still resistant to taking emotional responsibility for herself. She thought she was taking care of herself because she treated herself to massages, got places on time, exercised regularly, was kind to people and mostly took care of money matters. But when it came to her painful feelings, she abandoned herself by projecting on to others and blaming them when they didn’t do what she wanted, and pulling on them for attention. She also avoided responsibility for her feelings by eating junk food.

It became apparent when working with her that she was addicted to others validating her and making her feel special because she rejected and abandoned herself – her inner child – when she was in pain. She would do anything to avoid feeling her painful feelings and learning how she was causing them. Unable to compassionately manage the inevitable pain of life, she stayed focused in her mind rather than her body where her feelings are. Judging her feelings as wrong, she turned to various addictions, and she made others responsible for her feelings – rejecting herself in all of the four major ways we abandon ourselves.

It is impossible to send out good energy to the world when we are not in a good emotional state.

Boundaries are similar to the rules that govern how a person interacts with the world around them. People with no boundaries do not follow typical relationship rules when interacting with people in their personal and professional lives. They may overshare personal information or not share anything, or they may constantly take advantage of others or feel very isolated and separated from others.

Relationships also have boundaries or limits. In a healthy relationship, the couple establishes their boundaries with a sense of mutual concern for each other’s emotional, mental, and physical health. When boundaries are lacking in a relationship, often due to issues such as addictions, mental health issues, abuse, or other factors, there is no balance. One person dominates the relationship while the other person feels pressured to give in.

In a Time of Social Distancing and Social Media, Trust Remains Key

The pandemic has created new rules for dating, with more people relying on technology to start relationships. When it comes to finding love and maintaining strong bonds, however, one thing has not changed: the need to establish trust.

Whether it’s romantic, friendly, professional, or familial, trust is essential in any relationship. Yet it can be difficult to establish and maintain trust. Many people carry emotional baggage from painful experiences in the past that prevent them from trusting others. Signs of lack of trust may include:

• You aren’t sure you matter to the other person.

• You have nagging doubts that your spouse or partner really loves you.

• When they seem distant, you imagine it must be because of you (even though it may have nothing to do with you).

• You fear you’ll be dumped at any time.

• You find yourself fixating on these feelings.

If you have a persistent fear of being left or dumped, this may undermine the foundations of any type of relationship. If you feel lack of trust is a big problem for you that requires counseling, please seek it out. But if you’re simply looking to strengthen a relationship and increase your ability to love and trust, here are some things you can try: