Love...

With so much negativity in the world it is often times incredibly difficult to maintain a positive attitude. When faced with injustice and tragedy, it can seem impossible to remain loving and hopeful; to believe in the beauty of humanity; to train our focus on the good in life and to send that energy out to every place where it appears to be lacking.

When we see or hear of a grave misfortune, be it brought about by natural disaster or by human negligence, or cruelty even, allowing ourselves to become distraught, angry, hopeless or hateful will only add fuel to the raging negativity inferno. You can not fight fire with fire. You will only create more flame. Taking that negative situation and imagining it filled with hope, love, and promise is the only way to heal the afflictions of an unbalanced world.

Pay attention to the way you process the world around you. How often do you find yourself feeling discouraged or wrought with worry? How many times have you born witness to something atrocious and found yourself reacting with guttural aggression? We have the ability to raise our energy to a level beyond “good” and “bad”. To recognize that in reality there is only love and that all low lying emotions are brought about by fear, and all fear is in reality, the absence of love. Every situation that we encounter in which we find ourselves reacting out of fear, we can immediately go within our hearts and send out as much love and compassion as we can muster. We can heal our hearts, our minds, our relationships, and ultimately our world.

Hate will not trump hate. It will only foster hatred in your heart. If love is what you desire to cultivate, you must practice loving. Not just those you deem worthy, but all of life. Find love for every facet of existence and broadcast that love into the universe with your every thought, deed, and action. Buddha says, "Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."  And in the words of Christ, “Love your enemies.”

If you are in need of love, give more love to others. If you desire to have more happiness, give more happiness to others. If peace is what you crave, be an example of peace in your life. “Be the change you wish to create in the world” –Ghandi.

These truths are not new thoughts; they are not some radically liberal hippie mumbo jumbo. This is the greatest lesson ever taught; LOVE IS the answer. Try it out for yourself, in the face of any uncertainty, apply this truth and see if it doesn’t transform your experience! LOVE IS the answer.

-Love.