How to offer your heart the approval, support, and encouragement it needs to come out of hiding – repeat the following mantra:

I don’t know how to love the sadness I feel.
I don’t know how to love the fear I sense.
I don’t know how to love the jealousy I notice.
I don’t know how to love the pain I’m in.
I don’t know how to love the judgments I have.
I don’t know how to love the struggles I face.

I don’t know how to love the past I remember.
I don’t know how to love the people who hurt me.
I don’t know how to love those who ignored me.
I don’t know how to love those who punished me.
I don’t know how to love those who abused me.
I don’t know how to love the resistance I feel.
I don’t know how to love the doubt I sense.
I don’t know how to love the darkness within me.
I don’t know how to love the things I hate about myself.

I don’t know how to love what’s here to be loved.
I don’t know how to love what I may never be willing to love.
I don’t know how to love the one who can’t seem to shift.
I don’t know how to love the one who doesn’t want to forgive.
I don’t know how to love the one who refuses to grow.
I don’t know how to love the one who always thinks they’re right.
I don’t know how to love the one who always seems victimized.
I don’t know how to love the one who believes they’re entitled at the expense of others.
I don’t know how to love the one who is always in need.

I don’t know how to love the one who is always desperate, lonely, and never fulfilled.
I don’t know how to love the one who’s never satisfied and always needs more.
I don’t know how to love the one who’s afraid of having less.
I don’t know how to love the one who always thinks there’s something to earn.
I don’t know how to love the one who just wants to go home.
I don’t know how to love those who have denied me.
I don’t know how to love the one who has always been denied.

I don’t know how to love the one who always feels unworthy.
I don’t know how to love the one who chases desire, only to push away all that is given.
I don’t know how to love all that I am.

By acknowledging that I don’t know how to love, I relinquish each conflict, burden, and hardship by entering the heart of surrender.

– Matt Kahn – Whatever Arises, Love That

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash