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I ran my first ever race this past weekend! I have been running at least a 5k on my daily runs, but I’ve never done a “race” until now. It was fun! I did the Sound to Narrows 5k run in Tacoma, WA. I loved it! I went into it, because it was my first ever event like this, with no expectations. My expectation was that I would run the 5k – that’s it (well, I did tell my husband that I wanted to finish it in less than a half hour). And then as I ran I realized I was doing ok, time wise. When I looked at my official time, afterward, I did pretty well! I wasn’t even focused on time … I didn’t push myself at all, I just ran. I finished 79th of 344 women in the 5k run/3rd of 50 in my age bracket. Not too shabby considering 2 months ago I was very adamant about the fact that I couldn’t and didn’t run. I’m excited going into the next race knowing that I can and should try harder. (next race is a 10k in a month!)

There are SO many people who love to run. The park the race started in was FULL of happy excited people. I loved that aspect of it … it felt like community and connection … we were all doing something because we wanted to and it linked us together in that moment.

And then yesterday I saw the news about the Orlando shooting. My heart is broken for all of us and those families, those friends, that community … it is a terrible loss. As I watched yesterday as people came together to grieve the loss I again felt that connected feeling and the link of mourning together as a human family.

There is a reason we cling to love. It is connective. It is healing. It is expanding. It is the thing that helps us get through mourning, loss, hate, anger and the thing that breathes new life into us through joy, fun, excitement, and unity.

When we connect as one, when we link our lives together in love, we flourish. We grow. I have never seen an environment of love produce negative bad energy. Love is the energy of LIFE and it is the ideal we all seek, as souls having this human experience. There is a reason that when love is present life abounds and every soul in that space flourishes. We fulfill a purpose in love. We are here to love. That is the simple truth. And as we love each other, forgetting all else, out hearts are knit together and we can accomplish anything.

I had a little dream this morning. The details aren’t important. The theme of the dream was love and I was shown that as I, an individual, focus on love in the world I do the only thing I can ever do to bring about change. I cannot change the world through trying to get people to listen to my words, to change their ways, to see how I see, to do what I do … that isn’t the way to change. Change happens in each person as they realize that they are responsible for only themselves – and – loving others, without a worry, fear, judgment, or control is the ONLY way to peace.

In my dream I saw that my love is like a light. And as I embrace that fully in myself and I love the world and those around me (with no condition whatsoever) I am as bright as I can be. The amount of love I give and spread and show and embrace is the amount of light that shines from my being. The light that emanates from me is my “influence” in the world. Not what I say. Not the details of how I live personally  … but the love energy I am able to expand upon within myself which shines out into the world.

As I put love out, love has more “time” or “space” in the world. Love is its own teacher and guide … each person has a unique way to their love potential … to their brightest state of being. I don’t know what that looks like for anyone but myself. So the only thing I can do is to be love. As I am love I shine, and that shining influences the energy of the world in a way that makes love and peace brighter. If love and peace are a brighter spot in the world, then there is more opportunity for all the world to be taught and guided to their brightest potential.

My responsibility is to love fully. Without condition. Without judgment. Without fear. Without restraint. Without limit.

I don’t have to condemn another’s journey, I don’t have to fear their walk, I don’t have to judge what their belief system is, I don’t have to put myself in a position to do anything other than love each person fully with my whole heart. If I can do that then I am fulfilling my divine potential.

All else is distraction and NOT love.

I think of that scripture in the Bible … (charity)love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs – love rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

To love fully is to embrace the goodness, the lightness, the joy. It is to rejoice in those … not to focus on the differences and the wrongs and the things you believe aren’t truth … rejoice IN truth. Focus on the link, the connection, the unity. Bear each other’s burdens. Lighten the world with your bright love energy.

This dream left me with the picture of travelling through the world on the wings of love. In that energy there is no fear, no worry, no burden … it is pure light. It is easy because it lifts and replenishes and GROWS the heart. It is that “burning in the bosom” “swelling heart” “melting heart” type of feeling that when we embrace allows our light to fully shine.

I believe that as we focus on unity and let go of the need to control and make everyone fit into the box we believe they should fit into, we will bring about a healing and a change to the world that will cleanse and replenish and lift up and lighten and brighten and strengthen and make way for peace.

Peace is coming. It is a better, brighter, kinder, more loving way and I intend to embrace it as MY way. I know that my words may or may not mean anything to you … and I understand that it doesn’t matter whether they change you or not. What matters is the energy I embrace in my life and the brightness at which I shine. As I shine my light, through embracing love, I understand that I am doing my part, I am fulfilling my role, I am a light on the hill and I have made way for love in the world the only way I can.

This way is peace. This way is joy. I am grateful to see in this way. My heart IS full and that fullness shapes and transforms the world around me and I see with clarity. It’s a beautiful sight to behold, that is for sure.