Sunday, 08 December 2013 17:09

From the Inside Out

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May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.
 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring


A few years ago I arrived home after almost six weeks away to a non-functional computer and a blog post that seriously missed its deadline. Our elderly dog, who has since died, climbed under my desk, knocked the computer box over in panic during a thunderstorm and damaged my hard drive. It was not pretty!

Then in the same week, Nelson Mandela died. My first thought was that a light had gone out in the world. It got me thinking about how one remarkable human being managed to impact the world by being who he was. In the most incredibly circumstances, Nelson Mandela found a way to love and keeping loving and in return was genuinely loved by so many. It is an extraordinary accomplishment from a truly great human being.

Not all of us are able to change the world in such a vast way but each and every one of us has the capacity to change our life and benefit people close to us. There are many different kinds of love and many ways to love, but the essence of love is beyond that, it is universal. Love sometimes catches us unaware, a moment sneaks up and before we know it we feel connected and expansive and part of something so much greater than just ourselves.

The funny thing is that it is not always easy to love, even when we actually do! Husbands, children, family and friends, while we often adore them, have a way of driving us absolutely nuts with frustration. Life throws challenges at us that drain our spirits and knock us off balance. We get hurt, shut down and gradually our capacity for love withers and fades.

In my heart of hearts I firmly believe that no matter what, the spark inside of us never dies. As long as we have life, we can love. Sometimes we have to dig deep to remember. We have to use every tool in our tool kit to remind ourselves that when everything else is taken away, our capacity to love remains. It is love that takes us beyond ourselves, that guides us to see the world at large and to remember the greater good.

We recently celebrated Mandela Day and in honour of Nelson Mandela's life, I pledge to cultivate the spark of love inside me on a daily basis, to do my utmost to help where help is needed and to live wholeheartedly to the very best of my ability. What are you going to pledge?

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# Bethany Naismith 2016-09-01 12:15
Last year I spent Nelson Mandela day in South Africa as I was living there for 4 months at the time. I absolutely love that South Africans take time out of their day to celebrate his life - it was such a lovely sentiment and one we don't really share here in the UK.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-09-03 07:02
Oh, fantastic! I hope you enjoyed your time here. Mandela Day has really become a way for each of us to express our love and respect for Mandela for 67 minutes on this one day. There is something about the spirit of it that is quite wonderful.
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# heidi 2016-08-26 12:35
I know there is a quote about the only important thing in life is about those we have touched but as I always get these things wrong lol. I really try to do this in my own life, touch as many people as I can and it isn't always the ways people think but I believe if you can help someone you should. Mandela was one of the greatest people we will ever have known in our lifetime and an example of holding to what you believe in
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-09-03 06:59
The best part, Heidi, is that your philosophy is evident in how you live your life. Your do touch people and your generosity with your time and knowledge is absolutely inspiring. You have helped me so much, thank you!
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# Dreammerin 2016-08-25 10:05
Amazing post! I absolutely agree and it is a great reminder to me too. Love is simple and beautiful thing!!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-25 15:02
It is Dreammerin. Bring it on!
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# Kristen 2016-08-24 19:34
What a great post to reflect on. "As long as we have life, we have love." So absolutely true and something that I feel so many forget!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-25 07:08
It has taken me years to really believe that is true, especially with all the awful stuff going on in the world. It's the kind of thing that the more we can remember the more we love and as long as it is taking em in the right direction, it has my vote!
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# Ty 2016-08-24 00:41
Lovely article and pledge. What a great thing to do in the memory and honor of Mr. Nelson Mandela.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-24 07:16
We have a yearly tradition here, Ty, where people give 67 minutes of their time to a good cause. Here is a blurb, it is a really lovely commemoration of Mandela's life. "Mr Mandela has spent 67 years making the world a better place. We're asking you for 67 minutes." Nelson Mandela's birthday is on 18 July, and the call is out for people everywhere to celebrate his birthday by acting on the idea that each person has the power to change the world.
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# Rose Sahetapy 2016-08-23 15:30
Nelson Mandela is the great example about love. Love is actually a simple and beautiful thing we can learn and do, yet we chose another path opposite of love. Great post!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 19:40
Thanks Rose, Nelson Mandela was such an extraordinary human being. I cannot image spending 27 years in prison and not being filled with despair and hatred, and yet that was his life and he changed the world.
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# suchi 2016-08-23 15:24
i agree..whatever happens the spark inside of us never dies! nic post!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 19:55
Thanks Suchi. it's comforting to know that the spark lives on.
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# Amanda Love 2016-08-23 12:29
This is such a lovely message and it's really timely. I think love never fades and it's something that also keeps us feeling alive.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 19:54
Thanks so much, Amanda, I'm so glad it resonated with you. It warms my heart!
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# Lubka Henry 2016-08-23 11:17
I also agree with you that the love sparkle is always alive and can be awakened, but it's upon us to keep it live instead of waiting for other people to dig it out!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 19:52
I have such a funny image in my head of someone coming along to dig the love out of me. Lol! It really is so much better to nurture our own spark.
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# Nina - fortheloveofp 2016-08-23 11:04
'The spark inside of us never dies' completely agree. Sometimes through hurt we need to be shown how we can love again and there are so many types of love.

This year I pledged to do more good things for others.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 19:42
That is such a beautiful way of looking at it, Nina, we sometimes need to be shown how to love and at other times we need to remind others if they have forgotten.
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# Jolina 2016-08-23 05:47
I have a friend who told me that at the end of the day, love is a decision. And it's so true! No matter your circumstances, you can choose love.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 06:56
That is such a wise statement, love is a decision, how empowering!
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# Borka 2016-08-22 23:54
He was a great man. Love is something that surrounds us all and even though not everyone follows the path of love, they can also be loved and rejecting it. Rejections can be hard, but people should never give up of love because of it. There are many types of love, and even though we can't love some person at the moment, it doesn't mean we won't love again. That's the beauty of love, it always comes unexpected.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 06:58
Love does have a way of creeping up on you unexpectedly. I have always found that connecting with someone on some level, whether emotionally, intellectually or even through a shared sense of humour, makes that person more beautiful, ans suddenly, there is love.
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# Liz Mays 2016-08-22 21:34
This is a great perspective and something important to remind ourselves when we're feeling low. Love is a beautiful thing!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 06:58
It is certainly the joy in my life, Liz.
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# Tiina A 2016-08-22 20:53
That is true - the spak inside of us doesn't disappear, just have to find it after a hard period of life.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-23 07:01
I have had times of my life when I thought even the spark had died, but it hasn't. It is more resilient than that and in the right circumstances, there it is. I find it comforting, the thought that love is really at the centre of our being
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# Ana De- Jesus 2016-08-22 18:32
I agree, even when we have been broken we can still love and though our love may be wary and untrusting at first it is still love.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-22 19:23
It can take a long time to build trust, in both ourselves and others when it has been badly broken. But I do believe in love, it has a way of healing the most painful of hurts.
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# Fatima 2016-08-22 17:00
Love is indeed one of the most beautiful things in life. I am so thankful to God for blessing me with such beautiful people. Love the photo you have posted on the top.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-22 19:12
From your response, it sounds as if you are surrounded with a lot of love in your life Fatima, you are so fortunate!
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# Joanna 2016-08-22 14:27
Sometimes the things happening to us make us believe that we are empty inside, that we can't love or feel. Everything else is there just to be. It's important to look inside us in these moments and try to take that sparkle of hope out.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-22 15:53
I love that image of a sparkle of hope, it's so comforting somehow. Just a tiny spark is enough.
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# Me-An Clemente 2016-08-22 10:31
I absolutely agree with what you said that "the spark inside of us never dies. As long as we have life, we can love." This is a great reminder to me too. I found your post truly inspirational. Like you, I want to cultivate the spark of love inside me. I think those we love will also love us back in return creating a positive cycle. Thanks for sharing.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-22 15:55
Thanks for your wonderful warm response Me-An, it must be our inner sparks of love bouncing off each other!
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# Elizabeth O. 2016-08-22 09:53
I think that our ability to love never fades, it's one of the best things that we have in life and we should never give up on it. There are so many different kinds of love and each one is beautiful.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-08-22 19:10
So true, Elizabeth, there are so many ways to love and if it feels good and is good, then we can rest assured, it is love.
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