sitive qualities. Once I am honest with myself – can look at myself, my actions, my feelings, my motivations, squarely without flinching – I can better observe, evaluate and understand the feelings, actions and motives of others. Insight will become more frequent, accurate, and penetrating, and integrity will become the gatekeeper of my thoughts, words and deeds. Through Mindfulness I can more fully understand my own nature, but understanding is not enough. Mindfulness must also be informed by Love.
Love
I’m not sure that there has ever been a better description of Love than that from I Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Bible, New International Version), “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Love is the best tool for creating a harmonious balance between my strengths and weaknesses, my purposes and desires. This consequently enables me to mold my life in service of the Light. Love includes genuine and proportionate love for myself, for others, and for God. The moments in my life when I have felt most in balance, most harmonious, most aligned with the Light, have been moments in which I felt suffused with Love, whether it was for the beauty of nature surrounding me, the kindness of a friend, the joy of a child, even, occasionally for myself and my accomplishments. Without Love, I do not believe that one can strike a genuine balance, because it is a tempering influence on our desires and on our strengths. Love restrains arrogance, overcomes fear, brings to mind the Other in our actions, forgives our weaknesses (and those of others), and is the strongest stimulant to Light in this world.
Service to the Light
As mentioned previously, everything we do should in some mann
