A Practice-Choosing Love Over Fear

My interest in consciously choosing love over fear began in 1991 when I began to study A Course in Miracles.  One of the basic concepts of this teaching is that fear is the absence of love, just as darkness is the absence of light.  As it can be a shift to think of darkness as being the absence of light as opposed to its opposite, it is a similar shift to think of fear as the absence of love.

Though most people consider "hate" to be the opposite of love, the course considers hate to be just one of many manifestations of fear.  Positive emotions, thoughts, actions, and behaviors stem from love and negative emotions, thoughts, actions, and behaviors stem from fear.

It is important to avoid using this philosophy to judge ourselves or others for being in a fearful place and instead use it to engender and encourage compassion. You may have come upon the quote, "Love me when I deserve it the least, for that is when I need it the most."

Though it can be a challenge to love yourself when you regret a choice you make or love another when they are seeming difficult, this is the work we all need to practice. Putting our egos aside, setting down our need to be right or prove another wrong and instead recognizing the true present need, which, simplistic though it may sound, is always...love.

Thanks for reading!