My peace is inextricably tied to my ability to love what is.
But loving what is is not the coincidence it seems to be. While I may sometimes come in contact with something and find that I love it, it’s not because of something outside me. It’s the result of what I’m thinking and believing. It’s the result of my orientation to the world, my attention, my interpretation of events and the meaning I assign to that interpretation. When something wanders into my life that happens to align with me in all of those ways, I get the lightning bolt: “I love it!”
But, not being fully aware of how that recognition of love came together (through a confluence of internal, subjective factors), I believe, mistakenly, that love is something that arrives from outside me rather than something I do from the inside. I believe that the object of my love is somehow objectively lovable, when the truth is, my love for it has everything - EVERYTHING - to do with ME.
So if I want to be intentional about loving what is, I do not ask myself, “Do I love it?“ as if it’s something static, I ask “Am I loving it?” Am I taking the ACTION? Because it’s something active: something I either choose to DO or not to DO in this moment.
Asking, “Am I loving it?“ is less like asking, “Does IT fill me with love?” and more like asking, “Am I filling MYSELF with love for this thing? Am I connecting my loving true nature to this experience?”
If I sit and wait for it to come from outside me, I find so often that it does not fill me with love. But if I clear my mind I notice that I am filled with love. When I experience my love-fullness, I find that what’s in front of me becomes instantly lovable every time. It is entirely within me. Sometimes I’m able to do it and sometimes I’m not. But it comes down to MY fullness in love and not some special lovability in the object. Nothing is any more or less lovable than anything else. Everything is equally and inherently lovable when I am filled with love.
If I want to love what is and I’m finding it hard, I can work on clearing away all of my stories, all the identities and habits of mind I have innocently clouding over my love. When I’m able to do it, I find I can love anything just as it is.
If I really want peace in my world, I don’t have to wait for it. I don’t have to leave it up to fate, to the situation or to the other guy.
I can do it right now (when I can).