One of the biggest heart openers I have experienced in this last year is the realization that when someone hurts me or makes me feel unsafe or unseen, my learned instinct was to protect myself and cut off love. I don't mean romantic love, I’m speaking of love in its truest, most authentic form. During my silent retreat in February 2022, I had a huge epiphany that ALL true, authentic Love is free, bountiful and our birth right to receive, feel and express. The more we share our love the bigger our capacity to love expands!! It is essential to our wellbeing and our duty as humans to share our love with each other in the same way the roots of the redwoods intertwine and support one another. This is how we were designed. What I realized is that withholding love had hurt me more than it accomplished any sense of “righting a wrong” or "protection". Since then, I have adopted the habit of when I notice, speak with or cross paths with anyone, I find something lovable about them; even if it just a nice smile someone has that I notice as I drive past them on the street. I send them love with true intentions.
With that being said, what I have come to be MORE attentive to and deliberate with, is who and what I SHARE my time, space and energy with. Intimacy and Trust are things that grow and deepen with time and need tending to. Love, is often confused with those two and it can be offered independently. We cannot control the words and actions of another, but we can be a bit more selective and choose who we share our time space and energy with. I use the word share very deliberately because for me, that is what it feels like when I am truly connected to someone and the experience we are having, even if it’s a quick chat at a coffee shop. A feeling that the conversation is filling both of our cups on some level. I choose to be a person of love; I am far from perfect and definitely struggle with these concepts regularly but always make the effort to come back to a place of love and authenticity. Especially for myself and honoring my very valuable time, space and energy because how we spend this present moment is all we really ever have, and I choose love, joy and expansion!
"When you say 'Yes' to others, make sure you are not saying 'No' to yourself.
~ Paolo Coehlo
How does this topic tie into Gut Health? It is all about trusting your instincts. So often, we get this gut feeling that something is or isn't right for us and it can be so easy to ignore or disregard the instinct and energetic discord can lead to the physical manifestation of "dis-ease". What I believe is that it always comes back to love and especially self-love. Learning to trust and honor how I feel and care for myself by making deliberate choices that are in alignment with my authentic self, strengthen my instincts and intuition. Believing and trusting yourself has the power to create the ripple effect in all aspects of your life and the lives of those around you. When one lives their truth it gives others permission and space to do the same. Shall we play in the water and create ripples together?
All the love,
Pamela
💕