Hi,
I'm Rod Janz,
A trained spiritual director,
Retreat leader,
And coach.
Living with devotion to love means letting it shape every thought and action you take throughout your day.
It's so simple,
Yet so powerful.
Here's the thing about love.
It's not a cosmic scavenger hunt,
Waiting to be discovered when you've finally meditated for 6,
000 hours or written in your gratitude journal for 21 days straight,
As helpful as that might be.
Love is here now.
It's in your breath as you read to your children or grandchildren and in the beautiful mess of your day.
It's an infinite well,
Always full,
Always waiting for you to draw from it.
The problem is we find ourselves living from our heads rather than our hearts.
And our head and our ego are relentless.
They literally never give up.
The head loves drama.
It loves lists.
It wants to solve the puzzle of you by dissecting every failure,
Regret,
And awkward thing you said in junior high.
The ego tells you you're not good enough yet.
Just one more self-help book,
One more morning routine overhaul,
And you'll be okay.
Meanwhile,
Your heart's waiting there whispering,
You're already okay.
Stop the endless striving.
Let love be your guide and daily practice,
A radical devotion to seeing,
Being,
And extending love in every moment.
Here's a mindfulness meditation to go with this reflection.
Take a moment to settle in,
Whether you're seated or lying down or standing.
Relax your shoulders,
Relax your chest,
And the area around your heart in particular.
Allow yourself to arrive fully in this moment.
Take a long,
Deep breath in through the nose.
Hold it for a moment.
Now gently exhale through your mouth,
Releasing tension and worry.
Let's do this twice more.
Inhale deeply,
Hold it,
And exhale slowly.
Inhale deeply,
Hold it,
And exhale slowly.
Feel the weight of your body being fully supported by the earth beneath you.
Now let's become aware of our hearts.
Put your hands on your chest over the area of your heart.
Bring your attention to your heart space.
Hang out there and gently remain focused as long as you can.
As your mind and focus wander off somewhere,
Lovingly and gently return to your heart space.
On your next inhale,
Silently say,
Love guide me.
And on your exhale,
Say,
I am here for love.
Repeat this with your breath over the next few moments.
Inhale,
Love guide me.
And exhale,
I am here for love.
One more time as you continue to breathe,
Feel yourself gently anchored in this space of peace and love.
When your mind wanders as it does,
Gently bring it back to the heart space.
There's no need to force it,
Just gently return.
Take one final deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Silently say,
Thank you love.
Know that this connection is always available to you.
You don't need to find it,
Just remember it.
Drop your bucket in the well.
Pull it up and take a drink.
Take the loving energy you get from this into the world and share it today.
Now when you're ready,
Open your eyes and carry this love with you.
Let it guide your day.
