Welcome to Love Notes from Rhonda.

And today I want to read a piece from Meister eckhart, born in 1260, died in 1328, one of history's greatest mystics.

A Catholic monk and scholar who often presented his faith and spiritual understandings and sermons of stunning clarity.

A mystic.

I'm reading.

Love does that.

Named love does that.

All day long, little burrow labors, sometimes with heavy loads on her back and sometimes just with worries about things that bother only burrows.

And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting than physical labor.

Once in a while, a kind monk comes to her stable and brings a pair.

But more than that, he looks into the burrow's eyes and touches her ears.

And for a few seconds the burrow is free and even seems to laugh.

Because love does that.

Love frees.

All day long a little burrow labors, sometimes with heavy loads on her back, and sometimes just with worries about things that bother only burrows.

And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting than physical labor.

Once in a while, a kind monk comes to a stable and brings a pear.

But more than that, he looks into the burrow's eyes and touches her ears.

And for a few seconds the bro is free and even seems to laugh.

Because love does that.

Love frees.

There are probably times in your life you withheld love from yourself, withheld love from others, a desire to punish, feel like you don't deserve it, haven't earned it, and almost feel like withholding love will somehow strip you clean of your shame and give you the humility to start over.

Yet that is not needed or necessary.

Withholding love is not the answer.

Giving love is the answer.

Allowing yourself to receive love is the answer to believe.

The moments, this milliseconds of love that you experience in just a look from a stranger, just a door opening, somebody just opening a door and giving you a glance.

That moment of connection is love is I see you, is I see you.

It says I see you.

And when you are seen, ah, that is love.

I was driving the other day and a car was trying to get in, you know, in front of me.

And I stopped and I waved the person in.

And in a few, maybe 30 seconds, maybe a minute later, we were side by side.

You know, I was.

We were just.

Now he was.

We were in a two lane and I looked over at him to wave and he had already started.

He also looked over and waved.

That moment that we see each other, I wave you in, you wave back.

Just that moment is a sign.

I see you.

And when we are seen, we can actually feel loved.

So you have an opportunity today and every day, but specifically today, to start looking for those moments of connection, those moments of love.

Moments of love that you give to yourself when you're kind to yourself, see your own innocence, get off your back.

Those moments of breathing room, those moments that you give yourself space, are acts of love.

And with others, a smile, a kindness, a hello, a let me help.

That's love.

See, I think why this earth feels so dearth of love is that we want love to be a certain way.

We want it from certain people, and we want to experience it a particular way.

But then we're squashing love, we're confining love, we're trapping love, we're limiting love.

And I don't know about you, but I'd like more love, please, not less.

I'd love to experience more love, not less.

I'd like to give more love, not less.

I'd like to receive more love, not less.

Because, as Meister Eckhart says, I think it is the hope of loving or being loved that keeps us alive.

What allows us to endure.

I think it is the hope of loving or being love that keeps us alive, which allows us to endure.

Because for a few seconds the burrow is free and even seems to laugh.

Because love does that.

Love frees.

The other day, I was not loving.

I was grumpy.

I was triggered.

And I was kind of grumpy.

Well, not kinda.

I was grumpy to a hostess at a restaurant.

And as I was at my table, I just felt so embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed of my behavior.

Now again, I knew I had done it out of fear.

It doesn't mean you don't have those feelings that I immediately got up from my table.

I told my people at the table, I said, you know what?

I need to go and talk to the hostess.

And I went up to the hostess and I said, you know, I want to apologize.

That behavior was uncalled for.

That is not who I am.

And I am so sorry that I took anything out on you.

And the hostess was a young lady, and she did not look at me.

She kept going, no problem, Maggie.

Don't take it personally.

No problem.

She kept cleaning the menus off.

I said, could you stop for a moment and look at me in the eye, eyeball to eyeball?

And so she did, hesitantly.

And I said, I really want you to hear that I'm very sorry that you did not deserve that.

Please forgive me.

She had a hard time being with me.

Eye contact you know, eyeball to eyeball.

And so she quickly turned away and said, yes, no problem.

You know, I don't take it personally.

And I said, well, my name is Rhonda.

What's your name?

Alyssa.

And I go, okay, Lyssa.

Again, I'm humiliated and embarrassed by my behavior.

Thank you for your kindness.

And I walked away.

That's what gives me peace, right?

Because I clean up.

I stop and clean up, even though it's humiliating and embarrassing, even though I'd rather not do it.

But you know what?

I must do it.

Because I did something that was triggered by fear and caused myself humiliation and embarrassment.

But more importantly, caused somebody else suffering and pain.

And they did nothing wrong.

And, oh, by the way, if they even did something wrong, they don't deserve my acting out on them.

So today I invite you to.

On your quest for peace of mind, to look for love everywhere.

And it doesn't even have to include a person.

A moment of synchronicity.

When I look at my favorite pillow on my couch or I see my candles lit, I just get this beautiful sense of like, ah, thank you, God.

And of course, you don't have to say, thank you, God.

You say thank you to whoever it is that you believe in or just thank you to the space and thank you to the candle.

You can thank the candle.

But anytime I'm looking at something that I feel connected more to myself, I say thank you.

And that, too, is love.

So let's look for love today.

Let's cherish love today.

Let's open our heart to more love today.

Giving and receiving love, because the more you have, the more peace you'll experience.

It's your job to look for it and create it.

Until next time, be fearless.

I love you.