Love has no agenda …

My husband, Sam, and I have a tradition of kissing after we sit down to dinner, and before we begin eating. This is big for both of us … Sam because he likes to dive right into the food, and I because I have a thing about eating while it’s hot (guess I like to dive right in, too).

Anyway, we kiss first. And we continue kissing until we’re both present. It’s easy to get into a rut and kiss — or say I love you — without meaning it. We have to be present in order to feel the connection, rather than merely go through the motions.

Everyday busyness tempts us to think about what comes next, what has to be done before lunch or bedtime. Our egos are easily lured by meeting expectations and rehearsing the times we fell short, which can leave us living in the past and the future, rather than the present.

We can only truly live in this moment, though, and only if we’re present for it. And we can only truly live with a sweetheart by being present with them.

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change,” said Buddha.… More

Live: My sleepy face and the desk, really breakfast table, that readies me to sit down to work each morning.

Today’s my day to water plants–a lot of them–and it occurs to me that taking care of them deepens my appreciation for the life they add to our home.

Life is way cool! … More

Loving people from a distance can seem easy. As we get close enough to disagree with them and judge them, or rub egos with them, it’s more challenging. But when we get close enough to learn their stories, to truly know them, we can’t help but love them.

It’s only difficult to know compassion when we lack context.… More

We can be aware of our ego, without being distracted by it. We don’t have to offer the attention it craves. We don’t have to give it a voice or appendages.

The ego sees lack and gets scared and greedy. Love knows there’s enough for everybody. Love knows everybody can win.

And when we simply yield to love, instead of ego, we allow love to serve everybody’s highest good. Love can do that in any situation.

That’s the magic. … More

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