inspiration often comes by way of dreams. remembering and recording them has brought new understandings of life and this mysterious journey unfolding before me.
The level of hatred is palpable. I find tears fall for no reason most days. Lost sorrow fills my heart. What I find is that if I do not watch the news, if I limit my social media exposure, and focus on the moment and how life is right in my own community, the sorrow is less. Please understand that I am not burying my head in the sand regarding the state of this country and the world. I suggest that we understand our saturation level for absorbing negativity and step away from the source(s) from time to time to maintain our sanity and keep our hearts pure. Breathe slowly, remain faithful to the love that resides within.
The country you live in sucks. Conversely, the country I live in is great. Sadly, it is the same country. Where you see dangerous illegal immigrants and lawlessness, racial disparity, and ‘white’ racism, I see love and commonality. Where you see hatred and division, I see love and community. Whether it is based on your religion or the political leader you choose to worship and follow, I see a person who lives with hatred and division in their heart. The simple fact is that you can either live with love in your heart or with hatred. The two can not reside together and be identified as true. Your love for one person is not complete and pure if you have hatred for another person. It truly is a shallow existence to do so.
“…one cannot live with love and hatred in one’s heart…”
Living with Love in a World of Hatred and Loathing
In a world that often seems filled with hatred, division, and loathing, choosing to live with love is both a radical act and a profound necessity. The challenge is not to ignore the darkness but to respond to it with light—to cultivate love within ourselves and to extend it outward, even when it feels difficult.
The Foundation of Loving Oneself
Living with love begins within. Self-love is not selfishness; it is the bedrock of emotional resilience. When we treat ourselves with kindness, patience, and understanding, we establish a foundation that enables us to face the world’s challenges without feeling overwhelmed. Self-compassion helps us recover from setbacks and protects us from the corrosive effects of external negativity.
Empathy and Understanding
Empathy is the bridge that connects us to others. In a world where people are quick to judge and slow to forgive, choosing empathy can help dissolve barriers and foster deeper connections. By striving to understand others’ perspectives—even those with which we disagree—we create space for dialogue and reconciliation. Empathy allows us to see the humanity in everyone, making it easier to respond with love rather than react with anger or fear.
Setting Healthy Boundaries
Living with love does not mean tolerating abuse or allowing others to mistreat us. Setting healthy boundaries is an act of self-respect and love. By clearly defining what we will and will not accept, we protect our emotional well-being while still showing compassion for others. Boundaries help us maintain our integrity and prevent resentment from taking root.
Acts of Kindness
Love is often best expressed through action. Small acts of kindness—a smile, a listening ear, a helping hand—can have a profound impact. These gestures ripple outward, creating a more positive environment and inspiring others to do the same. Kindness is a powerful antidote to hatred and loathing, reminding us of our shared humanity.
Focusing on What We Can Control
We cannot eliminate all the hatred in the world, but we can control our own thoughts, words, and actions. By choosing love in our daily interactions, we contribute to a culture of compassion and respect. This focus empowers us to make a difference, however slight, in our immediate circles.
Surrounding Ourselves with Positive Influences
The people and environments we surround ourselves with shape our outlook. Seeking out positive influences—such as supportive friends, uplifting communities, and inspiring media—helps us stay grounded and hopeful. Positive environments nurture love and provide a refuge from negativity.
Forgiveness and Letting Go
Holding onto anger or resentment only harms us. Forgiveness—for ourselves and others—frees us to live with more love and less bitterness. Letting go of grudges allows us to move forward with an open heart, ready to embrace new possibilities.
Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude shifts our focus from what’s wrong to what’s right. By regularly reflecting on what we’re thankful for, we cultivate a sense of abundance and joy. Gratitude opens our hearts to love and helps us appreciate the beauty in everyday life.
Staying Hopeful and Inspired
Hope is a vital companion on the journey of living with love. Reading stories of hope, watching inspiring films, or listening to uplifting music reminds us that love is always possible, even in the most challenging times. Hope sustains us and fuels our commitment to making the world a better place.
Being a Light of Reason and Understanding for Others
By living with love in our hearts, we become beacons of hope and inspiration. Our example can encourage others to choose love over hatred, compassion over indifference. In this way, the love we cultivate within ourselves has the power to transform not only our lives but also the world around us.
Living with love in a world of hatred is not easy, but it is possible. It begins with loving oneself first and extends outward through empathy, kindness, and forgiveness. By focusing on what we can control and surrounding ourselves with positive influences, we can sustain love even in the face of negativity. It is up to us, as individuals and as communities, to choose love as a powerful act of resistance against hatred—one that has the potential to heal, unite, and inspire. In a world that often feels divided, love is the force that can unite us.
My heart is filled with so much sorrow and pain. In the past, when I faced hatred and division, it usually was several degrees away from me. I witnessed hatred in the news, and in places separate from me. But today hatred has come home to my heart in a very personal way. The division of people based on political views has permeated deep into our global society to the point of division in communities and deeply into families.
This country has faced division and hatred before and has always found a delicate balance between love and violence. The last time this country was so divided, brothers were killing brothers over the right to own another human being. I had believed we had grown and come along way from that level of hatred. Today, I do not believe we have.
I had recently watched a commencement speech from a recent Harvard graduate that brought tears to my eyes and sorrow to my heart, as her words sank deeply into my soul. She is so full of love and hope for her future and the future of her generation, but that hope and love has become tempered with fear and sadness over the level of hatred and ignorance the government has presented and acted on recently.
I sat watching her and listening, knowing there are many who would wish to deport her, or worse, imprison her for her words. We have descended into a world of abject hatred and the inability to allow critical thought and understanding. My heart is filled with sorrow and pain, and I cannot fathom where this will all end. I pray for love and I pray for peace and understanding.
having a conversation with a friend, he asked if i believe in a God. I said not in the terms most have a belief. hen then asked if I believed in good versus evil, as in God versus Satan. I stated that it is my belief that all of this are creations by mankind. If one looks at nature itself, there is on good or evil. Nature exists within its own set of rules and laws, so to say. there is a cod of conduct in the natural world, that we as humans willingly ignore on most occasions.
give as an example the savagery of wildlife, animals killing other animals. this is by rule of need. most often done for the need to eat or for territorial protection. good versus evil does not come into play in nature. the balance of life and death allows for nature to continue in equal measure. humans, on the other hand has the ability to think and reason. this, by any reasonable thought, would preclude that we as a species, would be able to govern ourselves in accordance to the laws of nature and maintain a habitable planet for which all life can survive and thrive.
but this is not the case. for one glaring example humans have completely run over nature and its laws and have systematically destroyed the very planet necessary for its survival. this glaring case is that humans possess an intense and destructive desire that no other species holds, greed. as the Merriam-Webster dictionary states: GREED:a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed. The battle between good and evil is indeed a human creation and a God or the antithesis of such is solely within the hearts and minds of the human race.
The breaking is so very subtle, it happens in quiet moments. It happens with the unexpected picture or a word overheard. I question myself, how many breaks can a heart take before it completely falls apart? Sometimes I look toward tomorrow with hope. And sometimes I look toward tomorrow with sadness and fear. What if, what if, what if? There are moments I can actually feel the break. Sometimes it is like a dull throb from behind my chest.
Sometimes it is a sudden sharp pain that stumbles my step and causes me to bow my head as a tear forms in the corner of my eye. I will await your call, your message, your understanding. Today the tears come hard. Today the tears come through heavy sobs and a shuddering body. I try hard to hold onto what I remember of love and the gentle caress of its touch. I will continue to wait in hope and more importantly, in love.
This episode reminded me of me of one time meeting my childhood bully as an adult. I was at the courthouse with a client waiting to enter the courtroom when I heard a long distance voice bellowing angrily. From the recesses of my mind came the hellish memory of being tormented by this kid after getting off the bus daily.
I watched as he walked away from a security guard and walked past me. I called his name and he stopped. Turning to me, he asked ‘Do I know you?’ I stood and shook his hand. I told him we attended the same school. I told him my name somewhat hoping he’d remember our mutual past. He stood thinking for a short moment. ‘Hey! I remember you!’ he smiled. ‘You were that cool kind in school. You played drums and was a great artist. I remember you, you were cool, we were friends right?’
I stood there with a childhood desire to confront him about our past. But I didn’t. I realized his past had been horrid and he had no way of understanding his anger as an adolescent in the middle of his family trauma. I put out my hand once more and told him I was happy to see him again after all these years. He hugged me instead and also said he was happy to have met again. Adolescence had a moment and recovered from its past. I spent the rest of the day with a smile and a great memory.
