What is the opposite of love?
“Love and fear are the two opposite ends of the continuum, as far as I’m concerned. When we are not in love, we are in fear.” – Jack Canfield
LOVE and HATE is how we’ve culturally been thinking about the opposites, however a more spiritual view has been that hate is not the opposite of love, but that fear is.
I want to shine another light on it as well that might inform your understanding of Love Vs Fear.
When we are not in love we are in fear, because experiencing ourselves as being disconnected from love is a scary place to be. So maybe fear is not quite the opposite of love, but the desperate need to be reconnected to love. Gripped in fear, we start splashing and flailing in our pond muddying the water and losing all clarity, which scares us even more. In fear we are both scared and aggressive and we keep behaving in a way that damages the relationships that we do have, not because we’re being the opposite of love, but because we are desperately trying to grasp at it.
A Course In Miracles also describes this in a beautiful way, the idea that fear might be the opposite of love, or is it?
“The opposite of love is fear but… what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.” – A Course In Miracles
What is all-encompassing can have no opposite. You ARE love. You are never disconnected from love but your fears can absolutely make it feel that way. Stop the splashing. Stop the desperate grasping for anything outside of yourself and fall inwards. Every time you soften and surrender, you will fall right back into the love that you already are.
I’ll leave you with a few more thoughts on love from Jack Canfield:
“It is kindness in a person, not beauty that wins our love.” – Jack Canfield
“The greatest gift you can give anyone is a gift of empowerment and love.” – Jack Canfield
“May you always love like you’ve never been hurt.” – Jack Canfield
“I think the deepest belief I have is that love really is the answer to all problems.” – Jack Canfield
Fear is in truth not the opposite of love; it is the sense of being disconnected from love. Gripped by fear, we become frantic, lashing out and creating more distance from the very love we seek. This self-destructive behaviour is not a deliberate act of malice but a misguided attempt to grasp at love’s elusive presence. By understanding the nature of fear and cultivating love within ourselves, we can break free from its grip and experience the joy, peace, and fulfillment that love brings.
Let love be your guidance with these affirmations:
- “Love is my natural state; fear is a temporary illusion.”
- “I am a portal for love, radiating kindness and compassion into the world.”
- “Love is my guidance through all problems; I choose to embrace it.”
- “I am deeply connected to the universal source of love.”
- “Every day, I allow love to fill my heart and guide my actions.”
Let us remember that love is our inherent nature. By addressing our fears we can unlock the boundless love that resides within us. Let us strive to be portals for love to flow into the world, inspiring others and creating a more compassionate and harmonious existence.
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Sharing love.