PHOTO: WALTER CHAPPELL
“Most things break instead of transform because they resist. The quiet miracle of love is that without our interference, it, like water, accepts whatever is tossed or dropped or placed into it, embracing it completely.
“Of course, we are human and are easily hurt if not loved back or if loved poorly. But we waste so much of life’s energy deliberating who and what shall be worthy of our love when in the deepest elemental sense, these choices are not in our province, anymore than rain can choose what it shall fall upon.
“Certainly we need to make decisions: Who will I spend my time with? Who will I learn from? Who will I live with? Who will I marry?
“But beneath all that, the element of love doesn’t stop being elemental. It does not stop covering everything before it. And over a lifetime, the pain of withholding this great and quiet force is more damaging than the pain of being rejected or loved poorly.
“For love, like water can be dammed, but toward what end?
“In truth, the more we let love flow through, the more we have to love. This is the inner glow that sages and saints of all ages seem to share: the wash of their love over everything before them; not just people, but birds and rocks and flowers and air.
“Beneath the many choices we have to make, love, like water, flows back into the world through us. It is the one great secret available to all.
“Yet somewhere the misperception has been enshrined that to withhold love will stop hurt. In truth, it is the other way around. As water soaks scars, love soothes our wounds.
“If opened up to, love will accept the angrily thrown stone, and our small tears will lose some of their burn in the great ocean of tears, and the arrow released to the bottom of the river will lose its point.
~Mark Nepo from The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have
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12 comments
David says:
May 23, 2013
Love the article, Love All…
Nadine OMINSKI says:
May 24, 2013
Beautiful thank you for sharing this!! <3
stephanie says:
May 24, 2013
needed to read this. thank you
Kelly says:
May 25, 2013
I simply….just love this! Thank. You for sharing..
CW says:
May 25, 2013
But what about when you allow that love to flow freely and the other person hurts you? It hurts to withhold the love you feel but it hurts just as much to continue to be hurt by the one you love, no? What to do in that situation?
colleen kelley says:
May 25, 2013
when i love someone if i am not loved back it simply is not in them to give…i have to stay consciuos to the fact that loving them is a gift to my heart and precious…even if they do not feel the same back i celebrate the love…no attachment to the outcome…no ownership of the other persons heart…the hurt or heartache falls away and the goodness of love remains…without selfish needs…it is a beautiful thing…a peaceful thing…it is love…
colleen kelley says:
May 25, 2013
i am a happy selkie playing in the waves of love today~~~
Kelli says:
May 26, 2013
yes, I needed this so badly this morning. I fell asleep with this opened on my Ipad and upon awakening it is the medicine for my day…..I awoke contracted because in my mind I am not being loved the way in which I would like to be Reststing what is causing me suffering……thank you for tis lovely gift this morning.
Sylvia says:
May 31, 2013
This was lovely! Thank you for sharing such an important message. My first thought when I am in conflict with someone is to withhold love, but what I really need to do is flood the situation with love to allow the healing to take place.
Pamela says:
Jun 24, 2013
This is beautiful
I would also like to Inquire about purchasing the photo from this piece by walter Chappell
Do you have access to that
Arayan Chappell said I should ask you
mm says:
Jun 25, 2013
@PAMELA Arayan Chappel is the one to contact to purchase any works of Walter Chappell as he is the contact person on Walter Chappell’s official site! Blessings to you~
jessica says:
Jul 12, 2016
perfect timing