This is a very hard question. With the disarray and division present in my country, the US, I am trying to be aware of what’s going on, but not to the extent that it tears at my heart. Walking that line is not easy for me. So I guess I would have to say that I am in -protect my loving heart mode. At this time I am not willing to open my heart to anyone who has been hurtful, without at least regretting the hurt that they have caused. For right now, this is the best that I can do. ♥️
The hinderance was to avoid vulnerability for the sake of protection. As probably many experienced, my heart closed due to the need of protection, and only a while ago, it started to heal. How? I guess through first realizing that without coming back to trust life and His Love, and to allow vulnerability again, it would stay closed, which meant to insist on my being right in needing protecting it of pain, which I could not forgive. At least in my case, it was an egocentric perspective which I could not give up, and In a way, this was madness of the “I”, a fixed idea and an overestimation of the “I”. At times, It must have been very unpleasant and even hurtful for others, when strong suppressed, unprocessed reactive anger shot out on and off, rarely but nevertheless, badly, for which I can only aplogize deeply to the ones concerned. Due to this madness, the relationship and possible perspectives related to the ones most respected and loved have been ended. I take full responsibility for my part described, which resulted in the selffulfilling prophesy of what I feared most – which was of being left out. This madness has ended. May be it is like Joseph McCann mentioned, to start loving myself is part of the heart starting to open up. Thank you for your listening ear, and thank you dearly for all of your helpful sharing here.
Yes, I can open my heart to someone to whom I have had it closed by loving myself and to remember that all beings are created by the Divine and all beings are forgiven and that all beings are a reflection of myself. I need to STOP, LOOK and GO; remembering that true forgiveness is first for myself then it will take effect on other beings and myself by loving without strings attached. After self reflections, accepting my own imperfections, forgiving myself, loving myself then I can be honest with the other beings. Reminding myself that it is not the being that I disapprove of, but the actions, only then I can truly inform the other being of the change in the relationship. It is a process – gratefulness and gratitude. Grateful for today, to be given the opportunity to just love all beings including myself and to help me to light the universe with LOV’/E.
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.” Thomas Merton
At heart, I’m open. My chattering head is another story. I don’t want to focus on that though. I hope if I open my heart to myself, as been said here, I’m will be more in my own corner.
When I close my heart to people I trust and who trust me, it’s because I’m feeling scared. I can remain self-aware today and see where/when I am closing off. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.
I have very rarely closed my heart. But my heart must protected. And I would not say that I have completely closed my heart. There’s always a small opening. I have been the generous one, and regretted it, and I have also been rewarded for opening up. And it’s not so much my heart that suffers, but my head. Some people live in my head, long after any contact, and not necessarily in a good way. In fact, people living in my heart, are carried with me and support me without any real friction. It’s the people that live in my head, that cause me harm.
So, I guess what I’m saying is, I’m good. I have reached out to and talked and apologized to many people from my life. And it has mostly been rewarding. But sometimes it’s a reminder of why I closed my heart in the first place.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. 🙏 ❤️
Hearts can love
Hearts can be broken
Hearts can heal.
Hearts keep us alive
Hearts stop. https://nationaltoday.com/national-donor-day/
I have always loved this line from Old Rose in the movie Titanic: “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets”.
Today is my Nanny’s 20 yr anniv of her passing – I miss her.
Maybe hearing them would disrupt the personal sense of identity and entitlement that the secrets were protecting. Flood the world with women’s secrets, I say.
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.” Thomas Merton
I smiled when I read today’s quote because I made the decision this week to say the mantra, “Lord, may s/he gain self awareness.” I say this whenever I see our president or one of his cabinet members speaking to the media. I still have trouble not judging what they are saying but at least I am making a wish that they experience personal growth.
Acceptance
As wet loves the waves,
as dark loves night
as white loves snow
as a bell loves the strike
as a wing loves air,
as the shout loves the ear
as silence loves silence
let me love what is here.
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Drea, I started it several days ago and it has definitely helped me cope. Richard Rohr says that Anger has two daughters–Courage which is of the heart and Hope which is absolutely necessary to avoid deep despair. Anger has a lot of energy and I choose to use it in a positive way. I’m truly sincere when I send loving energy to these people.I do hope that they will gain self-awareness because it is the only way they can realize that their decisions are fear based. I say this because my own experiences have taught me that my psychological fear ruled my life for many years. Bottom line, we can peacefully protest, we can let our congressmen and women know how we feel and hope they will vote accordingly but if Trump was gone tomorrow, we would still have an “US and THEM” mentality in the electorate. Human Beings have free will and so when I prayer, I surround the person with loving energy in hope that they will find the courage (heart willingness) to own their thoughts, feelings and actions. It’s asking them to be willing to be vulnerable which is something I ask myself to be every day.
This is one of the most difficult things,
dear Carol Ann,
that I have ever committed to do.
It is so easy to vent my anger,
but it creates a sickness in the soul for me,
and in truth,
in real truth,
this person and his cronies,
are very sick spiritually.
I try to think
that we are all basically pure,
but become damaged during our life experiences,
for whatever reason,
and whatever underlying desire or motive.
I’m trying very hard
to see them as innocent beings
who are doing horrific things to our country and the world.
What they are doing is evil,
disgusting,
cruel and brutal
of a nature I never thought I would see in this country
in my lifetime,
which reminds me
that even before we’ve become affected
it was happening elsewhere in the world,
and we didn’t notice it.
Now that it has come to our personal lives
we are starting to notice.
I pray with my whole heart
that somehow,
the sacred Light of all that is good and gracious
will shine in on their souls
and bring them back to source.
I have no doubt
that Karma will find them . . .
perhaps that will also bring them redemption.
I’m sorry to go on for so long,
but this issue
is of major importance
in my spiritual life.
Thank you for bringing it up. ♥
I hear you, Sparrow. I’ve come to the conclusion that my most important job is to be the peace I seek in my little corner of the world. The most important thing we can do is be willing to grow. When my mind starts judging them, I quiet it with a wish for their well being. I don’t see them as innocent. I see them as very sick.
4
sunnypatti
6 days ago
My heart has generally always been open to everyone. And that has brought on other open hearts but also has led to me getting taken advantage of. I have since learned to set boundaries that keep me safe and honor myself. I will say, like Joseph, my heart was closed to myself in the past while I so freely opened it to everyone else, wanting to be liked and loved. When I did open my heart to me, that’s when my entire life changed. That’s when I learned to love myself and set boundaries. Such an important thing to live a healthy, happy life.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love celebrating love and hope you all have a wonderful day 🥰
“It is writen that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of god” Luke 4:4 KJV. God has a way of bringing people together. It all points back to trusting and obedience of the lord.
This question hits hard today. My heart is open to all that I care about, but there is someone I guard it from. There is always love but I can’t trust this person with my emotions and thoughts because of gaslighting, passive aggressive tendencies, and he is always the victim of our problems. To open my heart completely is to lose myself again and I can’t do that.
Dear Deann, it is so understandable, while in the same time, it might be possible against all odds that things do change in the other. Sometimes, even very ill perspectives in others do heal. To stay open to prove this might give both of you a chance to meeting with less activity of the inner guardian of protection, which to my own painful experience always reduces the vibrancy of the heart. May be, first this movement has to be experienced, not sure about. May yorur beautiful vulnearable heart be fully alive.
I believe the only “someone” I’ve ever had my heart closed to was myself. Addiction can do that. At 68, I have opened my heart to me. That in turn has allowed my heart to open up fully for all else.
Peace, Love & Light.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone ! 💓 I think that I’m opening my heart up to everyone. Although I still find myself not always understanding someone’s views but I can continue to let go of the mind that judges others and discerns whether they “deserve”!love . This is a good question to go deep and let go of the false self who thinks she knows anything! Who do I think I am with a cunning mind ? Only the universe sees and knows- and by truly observing my mind I can surrender a feel the universe of love . ❤️
I’m grateful for the love of the universe which is so beautiful and coexisting is heaven . Shine love !
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone ! 💓 I think that I’m opening my heart up to everyone. Although I still find myself not always understanding someone’s views but I can continue to let go of the mind that judges others and discerns whether they “deserve”!love . This is a good question to go deep and let go of the false self who thinks she knows anything! Who do I think I am with a cunning mind ? Only the universe sees and knows- and by truly observing my mind I can surrender a feel the universe of love . ❤️
I’m grateful for the love of the universe which is so beautiful and coexisting is heaven . Shine love !
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
This is a very hard question. With the disarray and division present in my country, the US, I am trying to be aware of what’s going on, but not to the extent that it tears at my heart. Walking that line is not easy for me. So I guess I would have to say that I am in -protect my loving heart mode. At this time I am not willing to open my heart to anyone who has been hurtful, without at least regretting the hurt that they have caused. For right now, this is the best that I can do. ♥️
The hinderance was to avoid vulnerability for the sake of protection. As probably many experienced, my heart closed due to the need of protection, and only a while ago, it started to heal. How? I guess through first realizing that without coming back to trust life and His Love, and to allow vulnerability again, it would stay closed, which meant to insist on my being right in needing protecting it of pain, which I could not forgive. At least in my case, it was an egocentric perspective which I could not give up, and In a way, this was madness of the “I”, a fixed idea and an overestimation of the “I”. At times, It must have been very unpleasant and even hurtful for others, when strong suppressed, unprocessed reactive anger shot out on and off, rarely but nevertheless, badly, for which I can only aplogize deeply to the ones concerned. Due to this madness, the relationship and possible perspectives related to the ones most respected and loved have been ended. I take full responsibility for my part described, which resulted in the selffulfilling prophesy of what I feared most – which was of being left out. This madness has ended. May be it is like Joseph McCann mentioned, to start loving myself is part of the heart starting to open up. Thank you for your listening ear, and thank you dearly for all of your helpful sharing here.
Yes, I can open my heart to someone to whom I have had it closed by loving myself and to remember that all beings are created by the Divine and all beings are forgiven and that all beings are a reflection of myself. I need to STOP, LOOK and GO; remembering that true forgiveness is first for myself then it will take effect on other beings and myself by loving without strings attached. After self reflections, accepting my own imperfections, forgiving myself, loving myself then I can be honest with the other beings. Reminding myself that it is not the being that I disapprove of, but the actions, only then I can truly inform the other being of the change in the relationship. It is a process – gratefulness and gratitude. Grateful for today, to be given the opportunity to just love all beings including myself and to help me to light the universe with LOV’/E.
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.” Thomas Merton
At heart, I’m open. My chattering head is another story. I don’t want to focus on that though. I hope if I open my heart to myself, as been said here, I’m will be more in my own corner.
🩷 Happy Valentine’s Day All 🩷
May you all feel love today & everyday. 🌹💌
🕊️💖
When I close my heart to people I trust and who trust me, it’s because I’m feeling scared. I can remain self-aware today and see where/when I am closing off. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.
I have very rarely closed my heart. But my heart must protected. And I would not say that I have completely closed my heart. There’s always a small opening. I have been the generous one, and regretted it, and I have also been rewarded for opening up. And it’s not so much my heart that suffers, but my head. Some people live in my head, long after any contact, and not necessarily in a good way. In fact, people living in my heart, are carried with me and support me without any real friction. It’s the people that live in my head, that cause me harm.
So, I guess what I’m saying is, I’m good. I have reached out to and talked and apologized to many people from my life. And it has mostly been rewarding. But sometimes it’s a reminder of why I closed my heart in the first place.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. 🙏 ❤️
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone 💕💗💐
Hearts can love
Hearts can be broken
Hearts can heal.
Hearts keep us alive
Hearts stop.
https://nationaltoday.com/national-donor-day/
I have always loved this line from Old Rose in the movie Titanic: “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets”.
Today is my Nanny’s 20 yr anniv of her passing – I miss her.
“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets”.
Sometimes,
dear Michelle,
I wonder if this is because
no one wants to hear them . . . ♥
Maybe hearing them would disrupt the personal sense of identity and entitlement that the secrets were protecting. Flood the world with women’s secrets, I say.
Yes, Drea!!
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.” Thomas Merton
I smiled when I read today’s quote because I made the decision this week to say the mantra, “Lord, may s/he gain self awareness.” I say this whenever I see our president or one of his cabinet members speaking to the media. I still have trouble not judging what they are saying but at least I am making a wish that they experience personal growth.
Acceptance
As wet loves the waves,
as dark loves night
as white loves snow
as a bell loves the strike
as a wing loves air,
as the shout loves the ear
as silence loves silence
let me love what is here.
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
I needed these words today, and everyday. Thank you
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
is a wonderful poet.
Thank you for posting this one,
dear Carol Ann. ♥
Great poem by the wonderful Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.
Love the Thomas Merton quote too.
Carol, is it helping to wish they experience personal growth? Maybe I should try too.
Drea, I started it several days ago and it has definitely helped me cope. Richard Rohr says that Anger has two daughters–Courage which is of the heart and Hope which is absolutely necessary to avoid deep despair. Anger has a lot of energy and I choose to use it in a positive way. I’m truly sincere when I send loving energy to these people.I do hope that they will gain self-awareness because it is the only way they can realize that their decisions are fear based. I say this because my own experiences have taught me that my psychological fear ruled my life for many years. Bottom line, we can peacefully protest, we can let our congressmen and women know how we feel and hope they will vote accordingly but if Trump was gone tomorrow, we would still have an “US and THEM” mentality in the electorate. Human Beings have free will and so when I prayer, I surround the person with loving energy in hope that they will find the courage (heart willingness) to own their thoughts, feelings and actions. It’s asking them to be willing to be vulnerable which is something I ask myself to be every day.
Thank you Carol, this helps me understand, and I would like to try this practice as well.
This is one of the most difficult things,
dear Carol Ann,
that I have ever committed to do.
It is so easy to vent my anger,
but it creates a sickness in the soul for me,
and in truth,
in real truth,
this person and his cronies,
are very sick spiritually.
I try to think
that we are all basically pure,
but become damaged during our life experiences,
for whatever reason,
and whatever underlying desire or motive.
I’m trying very hard
to see them as innocent beings
who are doing horrific things to our country and the world.
What they are doing is evil,
disgusting,
cruel and brutal
of a nature I never thought I would see in this country
in my lifetime,
which reminds me
that even before we’ve become affected
it was happening elsewhere in the world,
and we didn’t notice it.
Now that it has come to our personal lives
we are starting to notice.
I pray with my whole heart
that somehow,
the sacred Light of all that is good and gracious
will shine in on their souls
and bring them back to source.
I have no doubt
that Karma will find them . . .
perhaps that will also bring them redemption.
I’m sorry to go on for so long,
but this issue
is of major importance
in my spiritual life.
Thank you for bringing it up. ♥
I hear you, Sparrow. I’ve come to the conclusion that my most important job is to be the peace I seek in my little corner of the world. The most important thing we can do is be willing to grow. When my mind starts judging them, I quiet it with a wish for their well being. I don’t see them as innocent. I see them as very sick.
My heart has generally always been open to everyone. And that has brought on other open hearts but also has led to me getting taken advantage of. I have since learned to set boundaries that keep me safe and honor myself. I will say, like Joseph, my heart was closed to myself in the past while I so freely opened it to everyone else, wanting to be liked and loved. When I did open my heart to me, that’s when my entire life changed. That’s when I learned to love myself and set boundaries. Such an important thing to live a healthy, happy life.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love celebrating love and hope you all have a wonderful day 🥰
You too SunnyPatti.
Thank you 💝
“It is writen that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of god” Luke 4:4 KJV. God has a way of bringing people together. It all points back to trusting and obedience of the lord.
This question hits hard today. My heart is open to all that I care about, but there is someone I guard it from. There is always love but I can’t trust this person with my emotions and thoughts because of gaslighting, passive aggressive tendencies, and he is always the victim of our problems. To open my heart completely is to lose myself again and I can’t do that.
Dear Deann, it is so understandable, while in the same time, it might be possible against all odds that things do change in the other. Sometimes, even very ill perspectives in others do heal. To stay open to prove this might give both of you a chance to meeting with less activity of the inner guardian of protection, which to my own painful experience always reduces the vibrancy of the heart. May be, first this movement has to be experienced, not sure about. May yorur beautiful vulnearable heart be fully alive.
Thank You!
Very well said, Deann. I just can’t ever see myself doing that. It’s too risky.
I believe the only “someone” I’ve ever had my heart closed to was myself. Addiction can do that. At 68, I have opened my heart to me. That in turn has allowed my heart to open up fully for all else.
Peace, Love & Light.
Joseph, your answer reminds me of when I first began to believe that Life is trustworthy. It was then that I found I could trust myself.
100% accurate, Joseph. The way we treat ourselves is reflective of how we treat others.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone ! 💓 I think that I’m opening my heart up to everyone. Although I still find myself not always understanding someone’s views but I can continue to let go of the mind that judges others and discerns whether they “deserve”!love . This is a good question to go deep and let go of the false self who thinks she knows anything! Who do I think I am with a cunning mind ? Only the universe sees and knows- and by truly observing my mind I can surrender a feel the universe of love . ❤️
I’m grateful for the love of the universe which is so beautiful and coexisting is heaven . Shine love !
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone ! 💓 I think that I’m opening my heart up to everyone. Although I still find myself not always understanding someone’s views but I can continue to let go of the mind that judges others and discerns whether they “deserve”!love . This is a good question to go deep and let go of the false self who thinks she knows anything! Who do I think I am with a cunning mind ? Only the universe sees and knows- and by truly observing my mind I can surrender a feel the universe of love . ❤️
I’m grateful for the love of the universe which is so beautiful and coexisting is heaven . Shine love !