Recognizing Fear & Offering Love

By Valerie Reiss, Fresh Morning

This is a lovely quote about having compassion for people most in need of it:

"What we do from joy expresses love; what we do from fear calls for love."
-- Alan Cohen

It's so easy to forget that most of the crappy things humans do are from fear, and as such, are actually calls for love. That nasty comment-spewing person on your morning commute, they need love. The line-cutter at the grocery store--yep, needing the love. Maybe we don't risk the black eye by reaching out in those moments, but we can always send a loving thought their way. And not from a place of smug superiority, but a place of, "Man, I know what that suffering must be like in there. I wish you well."

And when we lob harsh thoughts and unkind words at ourselves--those are perfect opportunities to set down the sword we may not have even known we were carrying and take a moment, and, say something like, "I love you, kid. You're alright and everything's going to be ok." Then things can soften, open, and move us along.