Stadium Sized Heart

Sitting in circle, I shared how liberating it feels to express my love to people - to show them, to tell them, to not be afraid of the amount of love I feel.

Over the years, I’ve been asked to turn the volume down, to moderate, to love quietly.

But lately I have been leaning into life with my courageous, wild, and stadium sized heart.

My natural state.

Fuck that feels good to say.

Jacqui, the circle facilitator, validated me with these wise words (or something like it):

When you have been loving people who can’t receive for one reason or another, it’s scary and hard to love in your natural way. But when you have a stadium sized heart, and alot of love to give, its natural to just, well, just love.

Translation: No one puts baby in the corner :)

The idea and practice of non-attachment has been in the zeitgeist for a while. Yes there is merit in this practice, non-secure attachment means we all have a tonne of work to do. But at the same time, human beings are social and connected creatures. Love and connection are a core need. There is an epidemic of loneliness in Western culture, with scientists studying its effect on our health and as a contributing cause to death.

So I say, its time to normalise loving, and expressing that love - in all its forms.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Doesn’t that feel good to say. To feel. To be.

I am here to love, and love I will. If you are not ready, I will love you anyway. If you throw it back at me, or put up a defence, I will love you from afar. If you shut down because you don’t know how to receive, I will hold space for that with gracious love.

I love you when you show me your shadow (cause undoubtedly I’ll show you mine sometime soon my darling).

I love you when you fall down - I will extend my loving hand.

I love you when you are so tired and confused that you don’t even know what the point of it all is (FYI that could be sleep deprivation and time to check nutrient levels).

I love you in your indecision.

I love you when you smile at the sky on a Tuesday afternoon, counting your blessings.

I love you for no reason.

Muito amor,

Shelly X