You are Loved!

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Do you know that there is no one else on Earth with your unique DNA blueprint and personal mission? Are you aware of the pivotal and powerful force you have upon those around you? Do you have any idea that if you suddenly ceased to exist countless loved ones would grieve your loss? A dear friend of mine died this summer and her closest friends and I were touched at the tremendous outpouring of love, respect, adoration and honor directed upon her after her passing.  I wondered if she had any idea how much of an impact she had upon those that surrounded her? It occurred to me, if she had known how absolutely loved she was, would that have made a difference in her own personal healing journey?

I witnessed her over the harsh Northern California winter slide into a depression that made it more challenging to do the hard work necessary to heal from cancer. It is painful to watch someone you deeply love suffer and feel powerless to help. I could tell her I loved her and that she was valued by countless friends, family and the lives of people she touched, but until she believed it herself, my words would fall on deaf ears.

In the past few years there have been more suicides in distant circles of friends. I wonder if the person who chose to take his/her life had known how missed they would be, would they still have killed themself? Did they have any idea how loved they were?

Are we all living our lives unaware of how much we’re valued and cherished to one another?

If I told you how beautiful you are, would you believe me?

How much precious time do we spend criticizing our faults rather than praising our gifts? We live in a society of judgment, judgment of ourselves and of others.

If I CHOOSE to shower complaints upon another, am I missing the blessing their presence brings?

Yes, we have a choice where to direct our thoughts, every thought, statement and action is a choice of our conscious and unconscious brain. My kundalini yoga teacher Jai Dev Singh says that our thoughts are like mantras and each thought is a direct action of what we wish to manifest.

This summer has been tough. My dear friend and family member died, I broke my arm and I’ve been journeying with healing cancer naturally with the self discipline and sometimes nasty body detoxification that comes with it. I’ve noticed my mind criticizing the one closest to me, my partner, as a way to deflect the inner turmoil within me.  Lately I’ve been trying to catch the critical pattern and recognize what emotional tide I am bypassing by projecting it at him.

Life is short. There is no time to be caught up in blame. I encourage you to practice love. With the loss of two of my closest friends and the stage 3 cancer diagnosis I received, all within two years of each other I have been blessed with the lesson that life is oh so impermanent.

The next time you find yourself in a negative spiral of criticism, either towards yourself or another, I encourage you to refocus the thought pattern. What do you cherish about yourself or the other? If it was the last time you were to see him/her, what words would you want them to remember you by?  It’s time for all of us to heal.

If I could go back in time I would infuse my friend with the love expressed towards her after she died, but I can’t. So I have decided to write to you and remind you that YOU ARE LOVED. You are cherished. You matter far more than you think you do. Now, please spread the message so others know how loved they are!