Spread the Love Now is a worldwide group writing initiative. It invites many contributions as the joint brainchild by the Three Monks – Wade of The Middle Way, Kenton of Zen-Inspired Self Development, and Albert of Urban Monk.Net. I encourage readers to explore their blogs and to write an article for this wonderful project.
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People often sense obstacles prevent them from experiencing love and realizing dreams. Why do obstacles to compassion arise in your own life and seem to persist? What can you do about that? How often do you interpret them as opportunities to learn to love yourself more deeply and to forgive more unconditionally?
By deciding you will confront obstacles, you’re ultimately moving to confront shadows. You are slowly uncovering how you measure meaning in your life, and eliminating those things that have little or no intrinsic value. Master the Guardian outside the Gate. Simply tap into what's hidden inside your soul.
Behind the shadow
We all conceal love behind the shadow we create for ourselves. We aren’t meant to turn our back on it. We need to learn to work through it. If we give in, then we succumb to our own weaknesses and we risk projecting them onto others. We need to find courage to invoke the sources of our perceived obstacles and become strong enough to push against them.
Until we take steps to master the challenges this shadow represents, it will continue to hold us back from our truest selves. This means we bar ourselves from choices we sense will enable us to love others for who they are, and to experience love to the fullest extent possible, that is, without limits.
Raising awareness
Each of us can choose to reframe our thinking. However we define love and compassion, our view can expand. We can decide this shadow we create will be our teacher, no matter which form it assumes; fear, doubt, ambition, shame, humiliation, selfishness, or any self-destructive behavior. We can choose to shift focus from ourselves, the wants and needs of ego, to focus on becoming a miracle for others.
To learn more about love and compassion, all you have to do is be good to people. Whatever you have, you can offer it. It can be measurable, like money if you can spare it, or, it can be things like your time and energy. You can raise awareness about compassion by doing things for people who are unable to reciprocate or repay you. What you give from the heart will come back to help you discern your inner self and accept it as is.
Personal journey
Any negative energies we encounter reflect our own progress toward a greater understanding of love. Challenging people and circumstances actually give life to shadows that stand between you and your Highest self. This is your personal journey to knowing love. It requires you conquer fear, banish ignorance and liberate your spirit. No matter where you are, who you are, you can devise creative ways to be a blessing.
As we learn to work through what troubles us, we build strength and character and also discern the infinite power of our love that initially clouded our judgment. It’s all about taking steps to redefine catharsis, purification and transformation.
The infinite power of Love
Love and compassion are not experiences beyond reach. They are not the goals of some relentless pursuit that continually eludes you. Life experience enables you to learn how to express love and compassion despite reasons your mind may echo you’re not worthy or someone else doesn’t deserve your love and forgiveness.
As you progress on this mental and emotional journey, you discover the means by which your true identity takes form. You find the means to become unstuck, to get out of that rut, and you grasp the means to change for the better. All you have to do is reach inside, embrace them, share them, and wait for the imagined confusion to pass.