Unconditional love

The word "love" has been so abused and misused. Are humans really capable of unconditional love? Most of the love we hear about is the romantic variety based on need and narcissisism. That isn't love at all. If you feel an emptiness inside and want someone else to fill it, that isn't healthy. So often, we mistake our hunger for fulfillment as love for another person.

Meet Stormy.

He is love. All he wants is a daily walk, food, a chance to play and snuggle in my arms. If I neglect the first two, he'll still be happy to curl up beside me. I send love to him and it bounces right back to me. The act of creating love within myself fills me with so much joy. I said "He is love." Actually, I become love by giving it. I think so many of us have pets because we don't share this type of love with each other. We can.

We have to start by loving ourselves. Be quiet. Shut off your mind and just feel how truly wonderful you are. When you experience unconditional love for yourself, it expands outward to include everything in the universe. You can direct it to others, focus on our Mother Earth, on your healthy body and mind. Make

your thoughts reflect this love for yourself. Let go of negative attitudes and realize that anything is possible with real love.

Brainworks

I finished reading Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood  by Dr. Oliver Sacks. I am astounded by Dr. Sacks' intelligence. The man is truly amazing. The book chronicles his childhood, growing up with an extended family of scientists and doctors who were willing to share their knowledge with this little boy and allow him to pursue his interests with few restrictions. Why he didn't blow up or burn down his home, I don't know. Lady luck and perhaps, a higher power were smiling upon him, knowing that he was destined for greater things.

The book deals mainly with his pursuit of chemistry, but he had far ranging interests. He very briefly touches upon his family's musical ability. Everyone played an instrument (or several) and music was an integral part of their daily lives. He talks about staying in a fancy hotel in Switzerland after the war and how he decided he wanted to give a piano recital. Although he had not played in over a year, he knew all of Chopin's mazurkas by heart. I'm talking about a child of about 11 years old (I don't have the book to refer back to, so my memory, which isn't as amazing as Dr. Sacks', may have his age slightly off). Anyway, his parents talked to the hotel management and they agreed to put up announcements for the young English pianist to perform in their ballroom. Dressed in his best suit, he played his first and only concert, mightily enjoying the applause and audience interaction.

Now, what boggles my mind is the fact that playing piano was really not his main interest. This performance was just something that he did for fun and on a whim, more or less. Still, he possessed the ability to pull it off. This is why I find the human brain astonishing and frustrating. Frustrating, because we don't get to choose our abilities and match them with our passions. I've wondered all my life why I was given such a desire to play piano and yet, was given no natural ability. My brain isn't wired to easily play and memorize music. I have tried to ignore and put aside the longing, but it just doesn't go away. My solution is to keep plugging away, playing for myself, hoping new connections will form inside this brain of mine.

Dear Dr. Sacks, although your life has not always been easy (particulary those years in boarding school), you have been truly blessed with a wonderful brain and you have used it to help countless people. I am so grateful that you have chosen to write books which stimulate and inspire us.

Enjoy life to the fullest!

Advice

I remember someone saying to me "If you can tell the difference between good advice and bad advice, you don't need advice."

True, but sometimes we all need a reminder. And sometimes a few words of advice can make us reconsider long held beliefs. Perhaps, you're holding onto a concept that no longer serves you. Have you ever heard yourself making a statement and then, realized that you really didn't feel that way? You were just repeating something that had been placed into your head when you were younger.

My advice for the day--Take time to listen to your heart. Don't let your head lead you astray.