I am learning so much about myself right now. About my own fears and inhibitions, my own urgent and sincere desire to be loved, accepted, and cherished by others as well as by myself.
So few of us were raised witnessing healthy and balanced examples of self love or intimacy with others, and so it is no wonder we struggle to experience these things as adults. However making the decision to heal our own hearts as well as those we choose so bravely, to love, is one of the most thrilling, nuanced, and rewarding journeys we can embark upon.
Staying soft and open, loving and loyal to our own tender centers, requires fierce courage. For in order to experience the depth of intimacy we desire, we will be required to confront all that lives within us which serves as a barrier to its full expression.
There is no way to simultaneously avoid vulnerability and experience intimacy. We must love ourselves through the challenging moments and do our best to understand those we hold dear, as they too, surrender to its immense and alchemical power.
All of this is to say that you should never feel shame for being soft, open, receptive, or loving—that it is, indeed, an essential and unavoidable part of the process of healing and opening to love. And although we can not control the feelings or reactions of others, as long as we act bravely and from a place of personal integrity, it is never a mistake to offer warmth, positive regard, or unconditional love to those we hold dear.
