Are you noticing that we are coming to a close of another decade? For some of you, when we talk about the 60’s, you have clear memories and images and themes that cross your mind such as peace symbols, flower children, the Beatles, a revolution against institutions of the 50’s and prior. Likewise for the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, each of these decades has had a specific theme paralleled with major global events that shaped the psyche of a generation. Whether these narratives are all good or not, whether we like it or not, these decades of social narratives simply have occurred and shape how we love one another.

From 2000-2010, major global events have occurred alongside significant social phenomena that have again fashioned another generation and required deeper commitments of the adults in this world to awaken and return to the language of love and spirit. Personally over this past decade, I explored the themes of love and peace—though these themes seem to be recurring themes that I simply explore, study and practice with ever greater knowledge, expression and ethical mandates for my life and relationships.

In my Soul Coaching seminar, we explore the connection between love and spirit and go through exercises that reveal how we use language to enhance and enrich our experience or constrict, restrict and perhaps even impoverish our life and love.

Think about the word love for a moment. Is it a verb or a noun to you? What does it mean? Imply? Connote? Now explore these questions emotionally and what else do you become aware of about your meaning when dipping into the emotional plane of your love? In the emotional reality of your life, can love be trusted? Does your love offer you and others self-respect and gracious kindness? Does love accept who you are as you are or do you have to live in a state of denial to remain ‘okay’ with the status quo? Is there pleasure for you in your meaning and language of love?

People often say to me several things about love. The word is over used and has lost its meaning or it doesn’t capture their true sentiments in their heart. Another key theme I hear is that love hurts and abandons. When I ask them what other word captures what they mean and would express what they experience in their heart, they often don’t know.

How is it that such a core need that determines ultimately our life and death, whether physically or psychologically and even spiritually can be viewed so narrowly and with such limiting language? For almost two decades, I have been studying the meaning of Grace as a language of love and have come to the experience (not just a conceptual understanding) that Grace is the gift of being embraced as the Divine’s Beloved just because I am and I accept the gift!

We must enrich the language of love if we are to ever begin to build the peace we desire in our conversations and relationships with ourselves, with others, with Nature, with the world and most surely with the SACRED ALL. Let’s consider for a moment, what this reflection might read like if we replaced the word ‘love’ with ‘deeply cherish’ each time. What would start to happen in your heart, in your imagination, in your beliefs if you begin to creatively expand your language of love? What would you ‘intimately appreciate’ about your partner? What would you ‘kindly delight’ in with your children, grandchildren or furry companions? Who would you need to forgive if you begin to ‘exquisitely accept’ yourself? Who would you stop blaming for your unhappiness if you extended soulful compassion to yourself?

As you consider this decade we are finishing, think about the language of love you have been using in autopilot. See if this language of love you are using is healing, awakening, creative or even compassionate with yourself and others. Notice how your autopilot hidden meanings of love affect the relaxation or tension in your body. What is the best of this language of love in this decade that you wish to carry forward with you into this New Year and NEXT DECADE?

When you know what you want to carry forward with you in the next decade, look ahead into the next decade, starting with this next year and ask yourself, “what new language of love would I like to begin to explore in concept, in experience, in feeling, in action and in my ethical mandate for my life and relationships?” We are on the cusp of a whole new decade. Consciously choose to deeply love in this next decade. Consciously choose to richly cherish, to compassionately treasure and to offer sacred worthiness to yourself and all sentient beings. We are the leaders. We must stand up and love more deeply to bring harmony and peace in our families, communities and the world in which we live. If you want to nurture this kind of love and learn skills, practices and develop ways of being in this kind of deep love and peace, consider one of the many courses in these areas I offer. Blessed be.

We here at Feathers, Rainbows & Roses would like to gift each of you with a symbol of a rich and deep and sacred love that forever reminds you are cherished in the eyes of the Divine way beyond your wildest imagination. We gift you the symbol of a purple rose!

Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year!

©Shirley Lynn Martin