Get ready for a 2-minute dose of ‘aha!’ with this inspiring article. But if you’re the kind of person who loves to know the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ and become a real expert, our menu is brimming with extra insights for your curious mind.”
A message from today’s meditation:
“Friday I’m in love!”
Every Friday morning as I sit and prepare for meditation, I have this catchy tune in my head. Do you remember the words…?
“I don’t care if Monday’s blue
Tuesday’s gray and Wednesday too
Thursday I don’t care about you
It’s Friday I’m in love”
The Cure’s iconic anthem perfectly captures the universal joy of Fridays, a day synonymous with the end of the workweek and the wide-open possibilities of the weekend. But right here, we are reframing Friday’s celebration to encompass something even greater – the celebration of love itself!
“All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore love for love’s sake, because it is the only law of life, just as you breathe to live.” – Swami Vivekananda
Love isn’t just about grand gestures or romantic relationships. It’s about choosing kindness, compassion, and understanding in every interaction. It’s about recognizing the divinity in all things.
“Do not hate anybody, because that hatred which comes out from you must, in the long run, come back to you, if you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Every act of love brings happiness; there is no act of love which does not bring peace and blessedness as its reaction.” – Swami Vivekananda
“All things in the universe are of divine origin and deserve to be loved; it has, however, to be borne in mind that the love of the whole includes the love of the parts.” – Swami Vivekananda
Most of us have mastered the art of self-protection. When relationships disappoint, when dreams crumble, when life delivers its inevitable blows, our instinct is to close up, build walls, and guard our hearts like fortresses. It’s a natural response, but it’s also the very thing that keeps us small, disconnected, and ultimately unfulfilled.
This is the most basic truth… every act of love brings happiness, so always choose to be love. Live with your heart wide open because you deserve to experience the peace that comes with being the embodiment of love. This doesn’t mean that it won’t sometimes hurt. But when you decide not to close your heart when it hurts… when it hurts so much that you allow your heart to break, you will learn that your heart can only break open!
When you choose love despite the fear of hurt, something remarkable happens… your capacity for love expands, and with it, your capacity for joy.
Thoughts on the celebration of love:
- Expand your heart: Practice acts of kindness, big or small. Send a loving message to someone you care about. Offer a helping hand to someone in need.
- Embrace vulnerability: Allow yourself to feel deeply, both joy and sorrow. Tears cleanse the soul and create space for healing.
- Forgive freely: Holding onto grudges only burdens your own heart. Choose to forgive and release negativity.
- Open your arms to the world: See the divine spark in everyone and everything around you.
Choosing love isn’t about blind optimism. It’s about a conscious decision to see the good, to connect, and to contribute to a more loving world. This Friday, and every day, make the choice to live with your heart wide open.
Have a beautiful Friday peeps!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Sharing love.
A moment of reflection
(If you have the time, use this question as a journal prompt, because whenever you put pen to paper you’re wiring the neural pathways that create your new habits. But if you don’t have the time, just take a moment to reflect on your response.)
The Ripple Effect of Your Love: “If you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle.” Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow. Over the last week, consider the small, intentional acts of kindness you initiated. Perhaps you offered a genuine compliment, shared a resource, or simply smiled warmly at a stranger. Focus on instances where you were deliberate about brightening someone’s day or easing their burden, no matter how minor the gesture. What were the immediate or subtle reactions of those you interacted with? How did these deliberate acts of kindness resonate within you? What insights do you gain about the power of small actions to create a more loving environment, both for yourself and others? Or are you perhaps reminded that there is still room for improvement in your own expression of love in the world?
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/1TcG4vTthY4 2025
https://youtu.be/fN_CjP5yyz4 2024
https://youtu.be/rJQCFpDa1ts 2023
https://youtu.be/lxsTXGPmgmo 2022
Q&A for deeper learning
1. Q: Doesn’t keeping your heart open just make you more vulnerable to being hurt?
A: It’s true that vulnerability is part of the equation, but it’s not the weakness we often think it is. When you keep your heart open, you’re choosing courage over comfort. While you may experience more emotional intensity, you also experience deeper joy, connection, and fulfillment. The key is understanding that when you stop hiding from pain, your heart “breaks open”. Each painful experience actually expands your capacity for love and compassion rather than diminishing it.
2. Q: How do I practically choose love when someone has hurt me deeply?
A: Choosing love doesn’t mean becoming a doormat or pretending the hurt doesn’t exist. It means acknowledging the pain while refusing to let it harden your heart. Start small—send loving thoughts to the person who hurt you, practice forgiveness as a gift to yourself, and focus on the love you can share with others. Remember that holding onto hatred only burdens your own heart, while choosing love creates space for healing and growth.
3. Q: What’s the difference between being loving and being naive or overly optimistic?
A: Living with an open heart isn’t about blind optimism—it’s about conscious choice. You can acknowledge life’s challenges, set healthy boundaries, and protect yourself while still choosing to respond from love rather than fear. The difference is in your approach: instead of assuming the worst about people and situations, you choose to see potential for good while remaining wisely discerning.
4. Q: How do I know if I’m closing my heart without realizing it?
A: Signs of a closing heart include chronic cynicism, difficulty trusting others, emotional numbness, avoiding deep connections, holding grudges, or feeling disconnected from others. You might find yourself making judgments quickly, feeling isolated, or believing that “everyone is out for themselves.” Pay attention to these patterns and gently ask yourself: “Am I contracting or expanding in this moment?”
5. Q: Can I really change the energy I receive by changing the energy I give?
A: According to both ancient wisdom and modern psychology, yes. When you consistently approach others with love, kindness, and openness, you naturally attract more positive responses. People sense authentic love and often mirror it back. However, this isn’t about manipulating outcomes – you can never use love as a transaction, spending good energy in order to get paid good energy in return. Just trust that when you show up as love, you are already blessing yourself with the experience of love, the effect is immediate.
6. Q: What if I’ve been hurt so many times that I don’t know how to trust love anymore?
A: Healing from repeated hurt takes time and patience with yourself. Start by offering love to yourself first—practice self-compassion, acknowledge your pain without judgment, and recognize that your desire to live with an open heart is actually a sign of strength, not weakness. Begin with small acts of love toward safe people or situations, and gradually expand your circle of trust as you rebuild your confidence in love’s power.
7. Q: How do I practice expanding my heart daily when life feels overwhelming?
A: Start with micro-moments of love: smile at a stranger, send a kind text, practice gratitude for small things, offer yourself compassion when you make mistakes, or simply breathe love into your heart during meditation. Remember that love isn’t always about grand gestures—it’s often found in the smallest acts of kindness and connection. Even choosing to respond with patience instead of irritation is an act of love that expands your heart.