What’s love got to do with it? With me? With my life? With my joy or success? With my sadness or loss?
Maybe love has a lot to do with it. ‘Loving it like it is’ - is a process of acceptance. Acceptance is not a process of non-action, rather a process of centered, grace-guided action. A process of acceptance starts with self and it starts with love. When I am in the middle of reacting to my life, i.e., not centered within my authentic self and not acting calmly I can apply L.O.V.E.TM, the following four-step awareness process, to come back to my grounded center and then act with clarity.
The L.O.V.E.TM process:
L ook at my reaction. Acknowledge it. Say, “I am in reaction.”
O bserve my feelings. Say, “Am I feeling Blame? Self-Pity? Resentment?”
V alue my reaction. This reaction too is loveable. Be the space in which my reaction is accepted and welcomed and loved. Say, “I accept and love me, even the me that is having _this_ reaction.”
E xperience myself from this space of compassionate awareness. Say, “I am compassionate awareness till I am not. When I am not I go back to, Look at my reaction……”
Start. Do what is next. Continue. This is the essence of practice. This is a practice.
Have a happy, happy day! 
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Published by DJ September 8th, 2009 in Compassion, Consciousness, Healing, Yogic Wisdom
Hi DJ…..Wow! Once again we are in the same place without thoughts. I was reading last night more about Byron Katie’s The Work, a wonderful process for determining what is really true. Without that truth there is pain and suffering. With it, there is only love. One of her booiks is Loving What Is and it has made a huge difference in my lirfe. I highly recommend it.
I’m attending a weekend in Edmonton in 3 weeks to learn moreabout The Work. It Should be awesome. If you’re interested I could send you some info. When I read it last night you were the first person I thought about. I do believe it’s something that would be a useful tool in your life as well as your clients. Have you heard of her?
Everyone should own The Work. I have sitting by my bed, and use it as required…when required…:-)
A great author…Loving What Is, is an awesome book!!
Char, Linda - Oh that is wonderful this piece has resonated with you both _and_ reminded both of you of Byron Katie’s, “The Work”. She and her process are marvelous. I have been doing “The Work” since 2006 when I was first introduced to it by Lynne Forrest, who runs Another Way Center in Tennessee. Lynne is also worth following. http://lynneforrest.com/ She is doing tremendous work, writing and teaching about the Three Faces of Victim which is extrapolated from Stephen Karpman’s - Drama Triangle. I have incorporated Katie’s “The Work” into my coaching tools. It is brilliant - simple with very deep subtleties. I find the process provocative just as I found Katie herself when I saw her in discussion with Oprah on her Soul Series videos - http://tinyurl.com/5wzqlx. Thanx for taking the time to write. Luv.
Thanks for the extra info, DJ. I knew that The Work would resonate with you as soon as I experieinced it.