LOVE

LOVE

Love is the one true reality, and the most important decision we ever make.  It is the ultimate game changer.  If you desire anything in your life to be different, figure out how to pour love into it.

Love is the very essence of life.  It is as abundant as the air we breathe and just as essential.  Love is a shape-changer.   It shows itself in a multitude of forms: kindness, generosity, compassion, thoughtfulness, caring, giving, dedication, appreciation, forgiveness, understanding, gratitude, and patience (to name a few).

Life is a continuous series of choices between love and fear.  Every choice for fear will bring us pain.  Every choice for love will ultimately bring us freedom.  The number of times you get to choose daily is virtually infinite.  You become a master of life when, in every moment, you are able to create the space to choose love.  No matter what the circumstances, there is always a way to choose love.

Many people believe that love is a rare commodity; that the planet is awash in hatred, separation and dysfunction.  This is a common misperception.  YES there is a lot of ugliness and suffering in our world.  But the balance sheet of good versus evil is dramatically weighted on the side of goodness.  Every single day billions of acts of kindness, caring and generosity are selflessly performed by human beings.  The very reason our daily lives continue the way they do is that love is more prevalent on the planet than hate, understanding and compassion are more prevalent than violence. 

This is not a trivial point.  It matters that we all understand this.  When we walk around with the doom and gloom view that the world is a stinking mess, we are less motivated to act from the goodness in our selves.  This negative belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  When we get clear about the truth of the situation - that love, compassion, thoughtfulness, kindness and caring are happening all around us, every minute of the day, we begin to notice those acts and to contribute more of our own.

The lens we use to look at the world has a significant influence on the way we act.  Bad news will always be prominently broadcasted by both the news agencies and individuals.  It is the massive goodness in the world that needs to be noticed, celebrated, and remembered.  Look around you today and begin to see just how loving and kind human beings are day in and day out.  This is the truth in every part of the world.

In every moment of every day, each of us has the opportunity to choose love.  This is where our essential power lies.  Every time we choose love, the energy of the planet shifts.  Every time we choose love our heart is expanded and our capacity for joy increases.  Like everything else in life, choosing love is a practice.  The more we do it, the better we are at it.  This is the one practice that will change your life forever. 

When love becomes your practice and your priority, you will see it everywhere.  You will feel like a blind person who has been given the gift of sight.  Don’t wait for this gift.  Choose it.  Love is the gift you must give yourself.  With every choice for love your heart will expand.  As your heart expands, everything that is not love is dissolved.  That is when true living begins.  Life is an expression of love.  Love is an expression of life. 

© Text Copyright 2014 River Cocco

 This is a copyrighted material, so please do not copy it for any purpose.     If you want additional copies to share with loved ones please contact the author at: rivercocco@gmail.com

ALWAYS

YOU have the power.  Every day you have the opportunity to use it.  Will today be one of those days that you choose to use your power to make a difference?

I realized only recently why we so often fail to employ this always available power.  We don't really believe in it.  We live in a culture that celebrates BIG everything: big expenditures, big achievement, big contribution.  We have gotten to the unfortunate place where we discount anything unworthy of a headline.

I have no wish to discount any goodness that deserves a headline.  The pertinent point is this: the small, often unheralded, daily acts of kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, caring and love are making a larger difference in the world than the headlines.  

Even when you do not see an immediate result, be assured that these acts are changing the world.  Every loving, conciliatory, comforting, forgiving, kind or inspiring word or gesture makes a significant difference.  Each one changes you, the recipient, and the energy of the planet.

Every time you smile at a neighbor or stranger, hold a door for someone, allow another driver to go ahead of you, give up your place in line, say thank you, act with generosity, reach out to someone in need, withhold criticism, offer a compliment, practice random acts of kindness, lend a hand, forgive quickly, comfort another human being, or just listen with love, YOU make a difference.  YOU change the world in the direction of love.  And your act ripples outward creating waves of positive change that you will never even know about.

You have the power.  It ALWAYS makes a difference.  All you have to do is use it.

 

Goodness Wins in a Landslide

Today I am happy to bring you a piece on Gratitude written by another author: Ocean Robbins.  This is a fun article filled with lots of interesting research on the amazing benefits of practicing gratitude.  Please go here to read the article: http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=380

There is one flaw in the article and it is the very first paragraph.  Here is what it says: "Our world is pretty messed up. With all the violence, pollution and crazy things people do, it would be easy to turn into a grouchy old man without being either elderly or male. There's certainly no shortage of justification for disappointment and cynicism."

This is a common misperception about our world.  YES there is a lot of ugliness and suffering in our world.  But the balance sheet of good versus evil is dramatically weighted on the side of goodness.  Each and every single day billions of acts of kindness, caring and generosity are selflessly performed by human beings.  The very reason our daily lives continue the way they do is that love is more prevalent on the planet than hate, understanding and compassion are more prevalent than violence. 

This is not a trivial point.  It matters that we all understand this.  When we walk around with the doom and gloom view that the world is a stinking mess, we are less motivated to act from the goodness in ourselves.  This negative belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  When we get clear about the truth of the situation - that love, compassion, thoughtfulness, kindness and caring are happening all around us, every minute of the day, we begin to notice those acts and to contribute more of our own.

The lens we use to look at the world has a significant influence on the way we act.  Bad news will always be prominently broadcasted by both the news agencies and individuals.  It is the massive goodness in the world that needs to be noticed, celebrated, and remembered.  Look around you today and begin to see just how loving and kind human beings are day in and day out.  This is the truth in every part of the world.