You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection or social or economic success—none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be there. –Ram Dass
What is this powerful love that doesn’t require us to do anything, or be anything other than who we are, in all our messy glory? The closest thing on earth would be a mother’s love of her child, and it is a love some have had, and others not, but that we all both need and long for. It is the gift of deep acceptance for who we are.
Here is a story from my book Loveseed: The Template For Birthing A New World, where I share a story of my own mother’s gift of having the capacity for deep acceptance:
“To fulfill your dharma (purpose), you must become a messenger of love. By being fully who you are, you contribute to oneness on the planet.
I witnessed this in the most touching and profound way when I lived in Massachusetts. In trying to find my tribe, I discovered a spiritually-oriented wellness center. On one of the days I visited, there was much excitement in the air about a spiritual teacher named Juelle, visiting from another community. I was told that Juelle channels the Ascended Masters, the beings of Light who live in a higher dimension and always have the best interest of humanity at heart. When I heard she was hosting a group gathering, I thought about my mother, and trusted my intuition to ask if she would like to attend. At 81, she was game!
When we arrived, the usual social introductions followed, and we took our seats in the small room of about 25 people. Juelle was “down home” and very warm and engaging. When she shifted into channeling the Masters, she spoke no differently than she did when being herself, other than more intensely, in an effort to reach into the hearts of everyone present. She was living her dharma, full out. You can read about her in her book called Walk-In by Juelle.
She asked the group, ‘Do you know why you are not fulfilling the big dreams in your hearts? Do you know why you haven’t written that book or left that job or that abusive relationship? Do you know why you haven’t gotten that invention patented that could help people? Do you know why? It’s not because you are not capable or you don’t deserve it, but because you have been programmed to believe that you cannot or should not. You have been taught lies by people who could not see who you truly are, and who fed you ideas of limitation and lack. It’s not your fault, and it’s not theirs. This was done to them. The real reason you have not realized how magnificent you truly are is because you have been deeply hurt by these lies. And yet, there is someone in this room, who, if they touched your heart, lifetimes of shame and fear would drop away, and you would be seen for who you truly are.’
Juelle then turned to my mother and attuned to her discomfort. My mother had never been public about her gift, though our family and anyone who knew her had been blessed by her gift of deep acceptance, which is her dharma.
There was a gentle back and forth between Juelle and Mom, and finally Juelle asked her to get up and go to each person and simply see them and touch them with her acceptance. My mother hesitated. She said, ‘I’ve only ever done that in my family.’ Juelle said, ‘This is your family. We are all one family.’ Mom understood.
As my mother went to each person, I witnessed the most sacred transmission. She first went to a young woman in the back of the room. Mom hugged her saying, ‘I came to you first because you need it the most. You need to feel loved.’ As Mom held her, the young woman broke down, saying, ‘My mother never loved me and I was raised by my father and he just died, and I have no one.’ This continued until each person had been seen. My heart burst with awe, pride, and joy.
On the ride home, I asked my mother what that experience was like for her. She said she had never realized she could do that with others, because she had been so busy doing what she could for her own large family. I asked her how she arrived at the ability to be so accepting of herself, others, and life in general. She said something I already knew, which was that living with my fiercely-loving and very difficult father was the main teacher, and then each of us, her seven children.
She reflected on a moment when she fully realized what her purpose in life truly was. It was when we were all actively involved in school and activities and she turned the family station wagon into a school bus to make extra money. She was exhausted, money was tight, and every day was the same—more and more work, more and more output, and more and more ways she was not sure she was doing a good job.
She said she felt so defeated that day, and in her exhaustion all she knew to do was to pray. She asked God to help her understand what her purpose was and if she was doing what He wanted. She said God spoke to her saying, ‘Peggy, you are raising seven good human beings who will go on to make the world a better place. You are doing a very good job, and this is what I have asked of you. This is your purpose.’ And it was, and still is, now with the grandchildren and a great grandchild. It continues on and on, and the effects of her love and acceptance ripple out in huge waves in her own immediate family and beyond. It is rippling to you right now as you read this.
When you realize that you are living your dharma, you often think ‘How did I miss this? I was looking here and there, and all the time I was living my dharma.’ If that happens, you are blessed.”
Just try that for a day, an hour, even 5 minutes—-to practice utter and total acceptance of another human being. It is the greatest gift you could every give!
May we all be touched by the deep seeing and acceptance of another human being.
May we pass that on to others.
