A Trio of Lessons

I have a deep conviction in the power of love. A power that can heal old wounds, that can provide hope in even the most difficult times. Seeing young, spirited love makes me giddy. Watching the affection of an elderly couple holding hands fills me with warmth. I’m absolutely in LOVE with love.

However, today’s Valentine message isn’t about passion, or dating, or romantic relationships at all. It’s a different kind of message. One based on the three lessons I learned this past most difficult of years…

It’s about the trio of gifts called:

1.?????Uncertainty

2.?????Loss

3.?????Humanity

UNCERTAINTY:?In the first year of the pandemic, I bobbed and weaved, and danced with all the change. I found a way through the challenges of a financial roller coaster ride, altering my mindset and my entire business to stay afloat and continue to serve the clients I’ve grown to love.

But truth be told, the ongoing uncertainty was getting to this change agent. I am a seeker, a driver, who had to find love in the quiet moments of acceptance. Accepting that I can’t fix everything. I had to find love in the process of moving from feeling deficient-wanting- inadequate to whole and peaceful. I had to find love and acceptance WITHIN me.

Throughout my life, one of the hardest things to do…was to be alone with me. To be quiet with the storm that is Heather- long enough to accept and calm it. But the length of time we’ve spent in uncertainty forced me to face it head on. To dive into me, to find a strength that had been hidden well below any level I had previously traveled.

And for this I am exquisitely grateful.

LOSS:?In losing my mother last year, I found unconditional love. Lessons from the shock of her rapid decline, the process of denial, then the acceptance and gratitude for the time with her at the end. I had a new perspective on what I thought were my flaws and hers- and realized that none of the human frailties or emotional disconnections took anything away from the truth of the love we had for each other.

At the end of life, everything became simple. Soft. Gentle. Quiet. Loving.

Things change. Things end. Things begin.

How we feel is based upon the story we tell ourselves about these things.

We may think:

“Endings are sad.”

“Change is hard.”

“Beginnings are scary.”

But what if we recognize that these perceptions are just that…that they are not truths. What if we could CHOOSE our thoughts and therefore our reality? What if we could shift it to:

“Endings are part of life.”

“Change teaches me lessons.”

“Beginnings can be exciting.”

We can.

HUMANITY: In addition to the change, to the loss, I spent a good portion of the last year seeking humanity. And in the seeking, I found it… all around me! In finding and connecting to the goodness within everyone (literally everyone!)- ?I found the goodness within me.

In allowing my soul to heal painful yesterdays and to soar past the unknown tomorrow, it brought me back to this moment. The only moment we ever really own.

The place where love is strong. Humanity is evident. And loss is just a part of a whole.

Love is acceptance, connection, energy, presence, hope, and truth. It is bigger than anything and yet so small you can carry it with you all the time.

In humanity, I find a solution.

A solution to the pain of loss.

A solution to the uncertainty of change.

A solution to so many of the world’s problems.

These solutions come from…

LOVE.

It’s always been love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I look forward to hearing from you. Connect with me here on LI or email me at [email protected]