You love me...you really love me!

What Byron Katie can teach us about love

Photo courtesy of George Pagan

Photo courtesy of George Pagan

A few years ago I attended Byron Katie's School for the Work. If you're not familiar with the woman or her work, please do yourself a favor and check it out. 

Whenever she was asked if she worried that people wouldn't like her, she would reply, "Everyone loves me; I just don't expect them to realize it yet."

At the time, I was absolutely intrigued by her answer. I knew she was seeing something I was not. She seemed to exist on a different plane of understanding.

While she welcomed and accepted every experience that came to her, I resisted those that I didn't like.

While she accepted and loved everyone and everything that she saw, I was cautious, carefully picking through my options.

While she lead with love even in the face of opposition, I often lead with fear and defensiveness, especially if placed in a situation with unknown variables.

While she KNEW everyone loved her; I was pretty darn SURE not everyone loved me.

I hadn't thought of her words until just recently while I was reading a book. Suddenly her words flashed before my eyes and I just GOT it.  More than that, I understand and saw it for myself on a bone deep level. 

Essentially what I saw was that without all of the thoughts and beliefs and incessant chatter that rattles through the mind...

telling us to like this and not like that

resist this and embrace that,

accept this and reject that,

we would be left with only love because love is our essence.

It is who we are without the thoughts telling us otherwise. 

Our true essence beyond thought, is a deep abiding and unconditional LOVE for all things; for all of life.

We ARE a representation of life and we ARE an embodiment of LOVE.

How can we NOT be in awe and in LOVE with that which we already ARE?

How can we separate ourselves from our essence and the essence that is shared by all others?

Underneath our thoughts and beliefs exists this pure and pulsating LOVE that has no need or desire for conditions. It accepts everything as IS. Because all of it represents LIFE. 

We are all living in the illusion that love is conditional, based on our thoughts in the moment. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We are LOVE...in its purest form beyond thoughts, beliefs and conditionings,

and as such, we, like everyone else, love everyone and everything...

we just may not realize it...yet.

 

 

 

 

 

Lana Bastianutti