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Life's Crossroads: Love-vs-Fear
Each day, each
hour, every instant, I am choosing what I want to look
upon, the sounds I want to hear, the witnesses to what I
want to be the truth for me. –A Course in Miracles
All of us, at one point or another, reach a crossroad
in our life. For some, the fork-in-the-road may be
healing an addiction. For others, the crossroad may be
creating an authentic relationship with self and others.
But whatever thoughts no longer satisfies the heart and
soul, the individual is compelled to choose, to take a
risk and begin traveling down a higher path.
In my own life, I have reached a crossroad many, many
times. Each new crossroad has offered me an opportunity,
a new way of living life. Risk and excitement, coupled
with fear and uncertainty has sometimes caused me to say
"no" to certain opportunities and
"yes" to others, depending on my emotional and
spiritual state of mind. Some of my most momentous life’s
crossroads include leaving corporate America and
choosing work that fulfills and nurtures my soul;
meeting Tom, my husband, and committing to creating an
open, honest, spiritual foundation for growth and love;
writing my first book; parenting my daughter as
consciously as possible; selling all of my possessions
and relocating from the Midwest to California. All of
these events were preceded by a choice, a fork in the
road—I could either keep doing what I was doing (and
get the same results), or, I could choose a different
road to walk down.
However, the most important crossroad I have reached—over
and over again—is one familiar to all of us:
love-versus-fear. This one appears day-by-day,
hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment. Every day we are
presented with a choice, a crossroad that has the power
to change us forever, to recreate our lives. There comes
a time when we make a non-negotiable choice between fear
and love. When self-doubt and uncertainty shouts loudly
to us, we can ask, "If I had no fear, what would I
do?" Or, "If only love is real, what would I
choose in this situation? Which road will I walk
down?" As we choose love, we relax and open, our
edges are softened and our breathing becomes deeper. Or,
as a wise student in my Course in Miracles group
recently stated, "If I were to describe what the
Course teaches me in one word, that word would be "relax."
Touché.
So relax right now and take a moment to reflect on
your life. Choosing love means making choices that
expand your well being, heightens your aliveness and
empowers you to stretch beyond your comfort zones. It
entails reaching out to those you love instead of
withdrawing. It requires saying "no" to
something because there is a higher "yes"
within you. One of my favorite quotes is from Mark Twain
in which he stated, "Twenty years from now you will
be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do
than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Are you standing before the crossroads of love-vs-fear?
Have you been repeating the same pattern only to see
that it’s no longer working? Has the time come for you
to walk down a different road? Doing so means change and
for most of us, change can be frightening. Our fear of
change is the reason why we keep walking down the same
path even though we keep falling into the same old
potholes. It’s not so much that things outside of us
will change, but rather, that we must change in
order to embrace the new.
If you believe you’re at a crossroads but are
experiencing some doubt and hesitation…just jump!
Imagine yourself already on the other side of your
dilemma. Look back with appreciation for the courage you
summoned to take a different path, that courage, or
faith, is always available because it’s a part of you.
© Copyright 2004
Laura Grace. All Rights Reserved.
Laura's Books:
Read Laura's Past Columns:
January-February 2004 - "Faith the Foundation for Every
Dream"
December
2003 Column - "Touching the Heart of Others"
November
2003 Column - "Knowing How to Care for Yourself"
October
2003 Column - "Dreaming a Happy Life"
May
2003 Column - "Living the Authentic Life"
April
2003 Column - "Rising Above the Battleground"
March
2003 Column - "Healing Through Your
Relationships"
February
2003 Column - "Are You Going with the Flow?"
January
2003 Column - "Living the Soulful Life"
December
2002 Column - "The Power to Change"
November
2002 Column - "Peace Begins at Home"
October 2002
Column - "Spiraling to Higher Ground"
September 2002 Column - "Cradled in Nature's
Arms"
August 2002 Column - "Recovering
Your Soul"
Laura Grace is Co-founder of Infinite Wisdom, an organization dedicated to the highest human capacity, and a national author and speaker. As a regular contributor for publications across the U.S. and Canada, Laura writes about human awareness and spiritual growth. Laura is the author of the widely acclaimed books The Intimate Soul and Gifts of the Soul, and the creator and teacher of various programs including the Self-Mastery Program, The Art of Compassionate Forgiveness, Wonderful Women: Reclaiming Our Power, Passion and Purpose, and Cultivating the Intimate Life. Please visit Laura's web site at:
www.LauraGrace.net.
As a spiritual counselor, Laura provides assistance in person and by phone. You may contact her for a free brochure at:
laura@lauragrace.net.
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