Are You Free to Love?

Many of us say that we want love We spend tons of energy Sometimes even money On trying to find it But then I wonder Are we really open to receiving it Once it shows up on our doorstep Or do we actually shut the door On the very thing we want most? Does your heart open wide when love knocks on your door Expanding and opening to let the love flow in Or does your heart contract, recoil and pull back Peer out the window, want to open the door so badly, but is too afraid Of what would happen if it let love in again? Does your heart rush in with open arms to find and embrace connection in this world Expecting to receive love back Knowing that love is everywhere when you know where to look And when your heart is open to receive it? Or is your heart cautious, having been hurt before, So it doesn’t let itself open too wide or let too many people in Instead of skipping through life freely and joyfully Is your heart walking safely and securely never risking too much? It’s okay you know, We’ve all be hurt We’ve all had our innocent pure loving hearts smacked around Stepped on Looked over Rejected Abandoned And as a result, You may have built big walls around your heart So you’d never be hurt again Or you may have taken all the walls down Hoping you’d be loved again, if you just gave more of yourself away. And although you were doing what you needed to do To protect yourself at the time The truth is that what actually protects you most is not walls or the giving of yourself away, The biggest protection you have in life is love. But love can only protect you if you let it in. Love can only serve you if you let it. And all love needs is permission to come in. Think of all the ways that love comes knocking on your heart’s door: When a stranger smiles Do you smile back and let the love permeate your heart Or do you give a fake obligatory smile or pretend you didn’t notice? When someone approaches you with the offer of a hug Do you let the embrace fully envelope you Letting all your body parts touch, chest, belly and arms Or do you politely offer a few pats on the back, never touching hearts Or do you go for the A frame hug, letting your upper chest touch but the hug stops there. When someone offers to help you or pays you a compliment Does your heart open wide to say THANK YOU! YES! I will receive that Or do you push back their gift Saying you can handle it on your own Or “this old thing, I’ve had it for years!” When someone offers you a chance to connect during your ‘busy’ day Do you stop and make time for love Or do you skip by the moments in life in which love is offered Putting it on hold for when you have time, But those times come far and few between? When you wake up in the morning Do you look around and notice the magic and splendor of the beauty of this world? Do you fill your heart with all that you are grateful for Or do you jump out of bed without noticing much of anything Except thinking of all the things you have to do or all that you haven’t yet done? When you find yourself in relationship with an intimate partner, a lover, a mate Do you let down your walls of protection And show them the truth of your heart and soul Even in the times, especially in the times, when you are afraid? Do you lean in with an open heart to create the intimacy that you desire, Or do you use love as a weapon, or say you want intimacy but then don’t offer it? Do you settle for less than the deep emotional connection that only two open hearts can create And tell yourself that what you have is enough. When your heart knows that it is not? What if today, you let your heart speak freely. What would she or he say? What one daring act of love would you be willing to take To risk letting love walk in your heart’s door? To set your heart free To do what it does best To love. And in return allow you to revel and trust in that love forever. Author Unknown