Are You Free to Love?

Many of us say that we want lover
We spend tons of energyr
Sometimes even moneyr
On trying to find it

But then I wonderr
Are we really open to receiving itr
Once it shows up on our doorstep

Or do we actually shut the doorr
On the very thing we want most

Does your heart open wide when love knocks on your door?
Expanding and opening to let the love flow in.
Or does your heart contract, recoil and pull backr
Peer out the window, want to open the door so badly, but is too afraidr
Of what would happen if it let love in again?

Does your heart rush in with open arms to find and embrace connection in this worldr
Expecting to receive love backr
Knowing that love is everywhere when you know where to lookr
And when your heart is open to receive it?

Or is your heart cautious, having been hurt before,
So it doesn't let itself open too wide or let too many people inr
Instead of skipping through life freely and joyfullyr
Is your heart walking safely and securely never risking too much?

It's okay you know,
We've all be hurtr
We've all had our innocent pure loving hearts smacked aroundr
Stepped on
Looked overr
Rejectedr
Abandoned

And as a result,
You may have built big walls around your heartr
So you'd never be hurt againr
Or you may have taken all the walls downr
Hoping you'd be loved again, if you just gave more of yourself away.

And although you were doing what you needed to dor
To protect yourself at the timer
The truth is that what actually protects you most is not walls or the giving of yourself away,
The biggest protection you have in life is love.

But love can only protect you if you let it in.
Love can only serve you if you let it.
All love needs is permission to open the door of your heart again.

Think of all the ways that love comes knocking on your heart's door today:

When a stranger smilesr
Do you smile back and let the love permeate your heartr
Or do you give a fake obligatory smile or pretend you didn't notice?

When someone approaches you with the offer of a hugr
Do you let the embrace fully envelope your
Letting all your body parts touch, chest, belly and armsr
Or do you politely offer a few pats on the back, never touching heartsr
Or do you go for the A frame hug, letting your upper chest touch but the hug stops there.

When someone offers to help you or pays you a complimentr
Does your heart open wide to say THANK YOU! YES! I will receive thatr
Or do you push back their giftr
Saying you can handle it on your ownr
Or "this old thing, I've had it for years!"

When someone offers you a chance to connect during your 'busy' dayr
Do you stop and make time for lover
Or do you skip by the moments in life in which love is offeredr
Putting it on hold for when you have time,
But those times come far and few between?

When you wake up in the morningr
Do you look around and notice the magic and splendor of the beauty of this world?
Do you fill your heart with all that you are grateful forr
Or do you jump out of bed without noticing much of anythingr
Except thinking of all the things you have to do or all that you haven't yet done?

When you find yourself in relationship with an intimate partner, a lover, a mater
Do you let down your walls of protectionr
And show them the truth of your heart and soulr
Even in the times, especially in the times, when you are afraid?
Do you lean in with an open heart to create the intimacy that you desire,
Or do you use love as a weapon, or say you want intimacy but then don't offer it?
Do you settle for less than the deep emotional connection that only two open hearts can creater
And tell yourself that what you have is enough.
When your heart knows that it is not?

What if today, you let your heart speak freely.
What would she or he say?
What one daring act of love would you be willing to taker
To risk letting love walk in your heart's door?
To set your heart freer
To do what it does bestr
To love.
And in return allow you to revel and trust in that love forever.