The world can feel heavy with the weight of hate and intolerance. Each day, we’re confronted with stories of division, anger, and pain. It’s easy to feel small and powerless against such forces, but the truth is that every act of love, no matter how small, carries immense power. In this blog, I want to share how we can choose love in a world that often feels consumed by its opposite.
Love as a Deliberate Choice
Love is more than a fleeting emotion; it’s an active, deliberate choice. It’s the decision to see someone as human, even when their actions make it difficult. It’s the commitment to compassion, even when anger feels easier. Love challenges us to rise above our instincts and connect with the deeper truth: we are all interconnected, part of a greater whole.
Interconnectedness is sacred. We see ourselves as threads in the same cosmic web, where every action ripples outward, affecting the collective. Choosing love, then, isn’t just a personal act—it’s a contribution to the harmony of the universe.
Starting Within: The Power of Inner Work
To love outwardly, we must first turn inward. I’ve learned through my journey with Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy that we all carry parts of ourselves that react to the world with anger, fear, or defensiveness. These parts often mirror the intolerance we see outside ourselves.
The work begins by meeting these inner parts with compassion. When I encounter my own anger, I ask it what it needs, what it fears. By tending to these inner wounds, I create space for love and understanding to flow more freely. This inner harmony becomes the foundation for loving others, even when their actions challenge me.
Lessons from Sacred Plant Teachers
Sacred Plant Teachers have been some of my greatest allies in understanding love. I’ve felt the profound connection between all living things—how we breathe, hurt, and heal. These experiences remind me that hate and intolerance arise from disconnection while love thrives in connection.
One vision was that I saw humanity as a vast forest, each person a unique tree. Some trees were bent or broken, but the roots beneath the soil were intertwined. We are separate yet one, and the health of the forest depends on how we nurture the whole.
Practical Ways to Cultivate Love
Choosing love doesn’t require grand gestures. It’s often in the small, everyday acts that love makes its most profound impact. Here are some practices to help:
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Begin each day with a moment of stillness. Reflect on what it means to embody love, and carry that intention with you.
- Acts of Kindness: Smile at a stranger, check in on a friend, or extend patience in a tense moment. These small actions create ripples of love.
- Listening Without Judgment: When faced with opposing views, practice listening to understand, not to argue. Connection begins when we truly hear one another.
Raising the Next Generation with Love
As parents, we have the sacred responsibility of teaching our children to choose love. In my family, we practice what I call Ceremonial Parenting—a way of raising children that emphasizes empathy, respect for diversity, and a deep connection to the Earth.
We include our children in rituals that celebrate life’s cycles and the interconnectedness of all things. We teach them to honour their feelings and the feelings of others, and we show them through our actions how to approach the world with open hearts.
A Vision of Hope
Imagine a world where love is the default response to conflict. Where we see past our differences and recognize the shared humanity that binds us. This world isn’t a distant dream—it’s a reality we create with each choice, each action.
By choosing love, we challenge the hate and intolerance around us. We become part of the solution, weaving a new story for our world.
A Loving Exercise
Take a moment to close your eyes and breathe deeply. Visualize a small light glowing in your heart. With each breath, let that light grow, filling your chest, then your whole body. Imagine this light extending outward, touching the people you love, the people you struggle with, and finally, the entire world. Hold the intention that this light represents your love—boundless, healing, and transformative.
You have the power to change the world, starting with the simple act of choosing love. Let’s walk this path together.
