lara simmons

"L ☺ ☺ K with eyes of love." -- The Universe  I have no idea where this quote came from - did I hear it somewhere and forget to write it down? - but it sprang to mind, fully formed, this morning as I was talking to a friend.  She wasn't feeling so attractive and was lamenting how her body had changed over the years, how she was aging and feeling just plain ugly.  I empathized and commiserated and finally advised her to look upon herself with "eyes of love." And then I made her say three things she liked about her body before we hung up. Because that's the key isn't it? How we look.  We can look with eyes of judgment. We can look with eyes of guilt. We can look with eyes of hatred or even with eyes of lust, but none of these give us the clearest picture of ourselves or others. It is only when we look with eyes of love that we see as God sees, as we truly are.  So I challenge you today to look with eyes ...

WWLD? "What would love do?" --The Universe The exercise for this month is simple: every time you encounter a situation which is difficult, painful, or confusing, simply STOP. Breathe. And ask yourself, "What would love do?" Then wait for the answer. If this feels too vague, here are some alternate questions to try: • What is the highest good for all concerned in this situation?  • How could this situation be win-win?  • How can I show love to myself/this person right now? You might also come up with a question that works for you.  If the answer doesn't come right away, continue to breathe until you feel you have more clarity. Or, if you need to make a decision right away, make the best decision you can make in the moment, knowing you are doing your very best at this time.  Later you can go back and reflect on your decision; was that what love would have done? If not, what do you think love would have done? Can you try that next...

 "Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love....All you need is love. All you need is love. Love is all you need." -- The Beatles Now that January is over and we have completed 30 Days of Forgiveness , I find myself asking, "What's next?" And while a part of me wants to answer, "A big old rest," there is another part that wants to keep the momentum of this thirty day experiment going. And that voice is the loudest right now so I am going to listen to it. The theme for February - LOVE - may seem obvious with Valentine's Day just around the corner, but it also seems to follow naturally from forgiveness. By opening our hearts to the possibility of forgiveness, we open to the possibility of love. The format for this month will be a little bit different, and less comprehensive, but I hope you will stick with me. Come back tomorrow and I will talk about the exercise I am going to be practicing this month to try and find more love ...