Are You Operating from Love or Fear?

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about Governor Mike Pence signing the “Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act” into law last week, and the strong, negative reaction that decision is getting from private citizens, companies, organizations, and even entire states.

Many see it as a thinly-veiled way of legalizing discrimination, giving business owners the right to deny service to customers who aren’t aligned with their “religious beliefs,” particularly those in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. This correlation is being made partly due to the timing of the law, which comes shortly after marriage equality became law in the state last fall.

Of course, as a person in a same-sex marriage, it angers me to think that, with the stroke of a pen, someone can give business owners permission to deny me service. But it also disappoints me.

Imagine the amount of healing and progress we could make in our world if people focussed as much energy on loving and accepting one another as they do on demonizing and segregating.

This becomes very possible when we start with the individual relationships in our lives. Think about it — When a friend or family member shares something with you, are you quick to tell them everything that’s wrong with the idea or do you let them be excited? When someone comes to you in pain or anger, do you hold a compassionate space for them to feel or do you immediately try to “fix” what’s wrong, essentially dismissing their feelings?

I often see stories of human kindness being shared on social media. Clearly it’s something we’re all hungry to witness and experience. Why, then, don’t more of us practice this kindness on a regular basis? Don’t get your fix as an observer. Be an active participant.

Regardless of where you stand on controversial issues, I challenge you to regularly check in with yourself and see if you’re operating from a place of love or fear. That’ll mean really digging deep because fear is a clever little sucker who often hides beneath righteousness, hate, and loud voices. Tune into your heart and soul instead of your head.

Intuitively, when I tune into the energy of love and support, I feel light, clear, and expansive. I see bright, white light, and feel grounded. Conversely when I tune into the energy of fear, discrimination, or negativity, I see a murky brown color, knotted energy cords, I feel heavy in my body, and my shoulders want to slouch forward. Now multiply those energetic feelings by the 7+ billion people in the world and you can understand the powerful impact our choices have.

Every minute of every day, all corners of our world are having energetic conversations. This is not woo woo. It’s a scientific fact. The more of us who make it our mission to exude love and kindness, the more our reality will reflect that. Let’s do everything we can to have each generation love more than the last.

I’d love to hear your take on all of this. Let this be a place to talk openly, freely, and without judgment. Please share your thoughts below.