These days, I often find myself reflecting on the phrase “lived by love.” Essentially, it means approaching life with compassion, good intentions, self-control, warmth, and kindness. It’s about finding the positive, caring, connecting, and showing kindness.
Deeper still, this idea entails an open and relaxed acceptance of love—in its broadest sense—as the fundamental nature of everything. Every moment, the world and your mind consistently support you. This isn’t just an abstract concept; it’s quite real. Our physical selves are intertwined with the material world, whose particles and energies are always reliable. The essentials—light, air, furniture, flowers—are here, accessible to us, no matter what the future holds. The same goes for the care and goodwill others have for you, the momentum of your own achievements, and your body’s healthy functions. Simultaneously, your mind keeps creating new thoughts, sounds, and moments of consciousness.
Maintaining an awareness of this fundamental nature is challenging. Our brains evolved to keep our ancestors alert and afraid for survival. But if you take a closer look, you can see that every moment, you are supported by the world and your mind, much like a child being carried to bed by a loving parent. This support is a form of love. When you learn to trust it enough to let go and relax into it, it untangles the knots of fear and separation. This leads to the diminishing of cravings that cause suffering and harm and allows love to flow through you and out into the world.
Imagine living a single day guided by love—not perfectly, but consistently. Personally, when I do this, the events of the day don’t change much, but my experience of them and their effects improve significantly. Try this as a practice for a day, or even a week or a year.
Now, imagine a world where enough people—known and unknown, from all walks of life—are guided by love. As our world stands at a critical juncture, with the potential to move towards prosperity, justice, and peace, or to descend into resource wars, despotism, and fundamentalism, it’s clear that for humanity to thrive, a significant number of hearts must be guided by love.
How can this be achieved? It begins with yielding to the forces that guide us in every moment. This represents a shift from the usual top-down, contracted way of operating to a more relaxed and receptive state that feels supported by the causes that create each moment of awareness. From this foundation, encourage different forms of love to flow through you. Here are a few suggestions on how to do this, though you can certainly find your own methods.
Soften and open your heart. Recognize that you’re okay right now. Listen to your body reassuring your brain that you are fundamentally alright. Feel the richness of the moment, with all its perceptions, thoughts, and feelings springing forth. Appreciate the natural and life-sustaining currents, gifts from billions of years of evolution. Look around and see the objects, including your own hands and body, acknowledging the generosity of the material world, evolving over billions of years.
Be mindful of the warmth and goodwill others have towards you. Feel your connections with others and how you are supported by a network of relationships. These don’t have to be perfect—some people genuinely care about you. You are almost certainly loved.
Feel the ease that comes with being conscious, the effortless knowing that accompanies perception and thought. When stress, worry, pressure, or pain arise, understand that the underlying operations of the mind are fundamentally fine.
By repeatedly making this slight yet profound shift, surrendering to the support of mind and matter, you can let your love flow freely. Bring this down to earth: if you approached your first interaction with someone today with love, how would you act, what would you say? Imagine living this way for a week or even a year. Why not give it a try? If enough people join in, our world could become a much better place.
Let the currents of love guide you home.