Love.
It’s a word whispered in fairytales, a yearning etched in our hearts. Yet, for many of us, truly receiving love can feel like a foreign concept. We shower love on others freely, but when it comes to letting it wash over us, a strange resistance sets in. Why is this? Why do we struggle to receive love as readily as we give it?
“We may tell ourselves that love is not really available. But the deeper truth is that we don’t entirely trust it, and therefore have a hard time fully opening to it or letting it all the way into us. This disconnects us from our own heart, exacerbating our sense of love’s scarcity.” – John Welwood
There are two thoughts that stand out for me from this quote:
- we might not entirely trust love
- having a sense that there is a “scarcity” to love
Why on earth would we not trust love? Why would we have a sense that there is a scarcity of love?
John answers those questions clearly:
“Not knowing that we can be loved for who we truly are prevents us from trusting in love itself, and this in turn causes us to turn away from life and doubt its benevolence.” – John Welwood
This is something most of us were taught, that we are not lovable just as we are. That it is only when we live up to certain “standards” of perfection that we become worthy of love. And we’ve been shown that this is true every time that love is withheld from us when we don’t show up as perfect. And so our formative experiences of love have always been filled with fear… because we’ve always known that we’re not perfect so the very experience of being loved has always forever been under threat.
“There is a secret about human love that is commonly overlooked: Receiving it is much more scary and threatening than giving it.” – John Welwood
Whoever taught you that you’re not lovable just as you are was never right, and being who you are was never wrong.
It might be that you need to work on your ability to receive. It is a journey, yes. It might involve unlearning old patterns and dismantling the walls you’ve built around your heart. But know this: the ability to receive love is a skill that can be cultivated, and the more ease you gain in loving yourself, the more easily you will be able to share in the abundant love all around you.
Here are a few mantras for a life open to love:
- I am worthy of love, unconditionally.
- I release the fear of imperfection and open myself to receiving love.
- Vulnerability is not weakness, it is the birthplace of true connection.
- Love is abundant, and I allow myself to receive my full share.
Allow yourself to be loved completely. You are worthy, and love is waiting to embrace you. It can all start to feel natural because after all, what is more natural than loving and being loved?
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Sharing love.