Salvatore  

This week we have an opportunity to look at Love. How much love we are experiencing in our lives is key to level of happiness we are experiencing. Whether in a committed relationship or single, we all have an opportunity to experience more love in our lives.

Love is defined differently by each of us, but I will endeaver to share some ideas that may prove to open us up to an even deeper understanding of Love. Did you realize that you can experience Love without anyone else around you? The level of love we experience is directly connected to how much love we feel inside without the interaction or stimulation from something outside of us.

I have spoken to many over the years that say they have trouble being alone. Being alone frightens many people. I wondered why. I have been on my own more that I have been in a relationship for most of my life. I have discovered that I value my alone time more than ever. It gives me time to discover what is really going on with me and to find out what brings me real happiness. I discovered I love to write, read, sing, pray, and visualize my dreams. These are all things that I can do alone and really enjoy the process.

I have taken being alone one step further. If there is a movie I want to see or a restaurant I want to experience and no one is available at that time, I will go on my own. What I have found that even though I have gone out alone, I can usually connect with someone and have a wonderful conversation. At these times I know I am projecting the love I feel inside out to everyone and anyone that feels that love is welcome to share a life moment with me. I have created some wonderful sharing moments with perfect strangers by just being open.

Let's take a look at past connections.  Many of us have connections to people in our past that we truly believed was a loving connection. In our own minds it was love. Now that connection is part of our history and we often will review that memory and question if it was love and if that person ever really felt anything for us. Reviewing the past can often bring insight to the present especially when all the emotions have settled down. It is healthy for us to come to the understanding that we were in that relationship because of what we beliefed for ourselves at that time. Now we are in a different place with different needs and that connection would not work for us.  We come together for a season and when we are finished we must move on to our next life experience.

It is so easy to discuss these things rationally, but when emotions are involved, all rationale goes out the window. But in truth, the best way to look at our relationships is with an open mind and to experience what we are to share with this person. Every relationship has a purpose. Our job is to be willing to discover that purpose and experience that relationship for what it is. So often, we begin projecting what we want from the relationship and believe we can control where the relationship is going. In truth, we can only speak our truth, let our needs be known and share what we are ready to share. Taking responsibility for our emotions and reactions helps too. We are ultimately responsible for our own actions or lack of them. If we stay in a relationship that is damaging to our spirit and does not allow us to grow and express ourselves, that relationship is not for our highest good and it is up to us to do something about it. Sometimes being on our own is the first step to experiencing more love in our lives. After that, doors continue to open to more loving life experiences. This occurs because we have set the new stage for more of what we truly deserve to come into our lives.

This Valentine's Day I am grateful for the loving experiences of my past and I am open to greater more loving experiences in my present. I know and experience Love in my everyday life and am open to loving relationships with everyone I encounter. My mind is open and receptive to the infinite possibilities Love has to offer me.

Enjoy your Love filled Valentine's Day