Inspirations
Inspirations
Everybody benefits from inspiration now and again. Over the years, TLF Founder Harold Becker has written and shared a variety of brief expressions focused on the many qualities of love. We provide a collection of some of his thoughts on love, peace, life, awareness and encouragement, that may lift your spirits or speak to you in a special way. Enjoy!
Love for Love's Sake
At first glance looking around our world today, one can assume that there is little sense of peace or love. Yet, when we look just beyond the appearances we can see a much greater potential unfolding.
It is true that many are acting from a place of fear and doubt which includes greed, lust, guilt, anger, self righteousness and a myriad of other lower ego based actions. However, there are many more who are engaging in peaceful and loving responses. You won't necessarily read about these individuals or see them on TV, rather you will encounter them in your daily journey.
Love and peace are qualities we cultivate through the choices we make. It is up to each of us to make this choice of our own accord and equally our opportunity to share this energy from within. No one can do it for us.
So if you wish to see how much love and peace is growing on the planet... be that love and peace and you will begin to notice it all around you. In fact, you will become a part of the very process itself and others will come to know you for this energy in action.
Peace is not a static state as many may think. In reality it is a very dynamic energy that moves in where strife and chaos attempt to control and tempers these situations so that all can be balanced naturally.
Love is the same way. When we choose to love unconditionally, we bring the highest potential into every situation and heal generations of conflict... simply by letting go and loving all involved, including ourselves.
Love, Wisdom and Power
There are many events around our world that could make even the most hopeful seem to lose hope amidst the increasing appearance of seeming chaos. Yet, these are the very examples where turning to love becomes the most viable and perhaps critical decision we can make this day. Now is the time to embrace the love from our heart and reach out with compassion and kindness - to all.
Each year we witness great tragedy with natural phenomena like earthquakes and hurricanes around the world. However, such large scale events often distract us from the fact that individuals, groups and even entire societies are suffering daily and hourly throughout our great world. Whether by the hands of another or through disease, famine, war, or simple neglect, these conditions are no longer acceptable.
It is time for each of us to embrace and accept our selves on all levels and begin to see the reflection of our brothers and sisters in the eyes of every human upon this planet. In one swift action, the playing field is often leveled and instantly we are reminded that rich or poor, intelligent or uneducated, we are all in this adventure together. Why not realize this before tragedy strikes?
Collectively we have the resources, technology and ability to change our very reality where everyone has enough food, clothing and shelter and can begin to express their creativity in positive ways. This is a simple choice that requires a selfless understanding of the right use of life. Just as the trees give of their oxygen without request for payment, we can give of our heart and touch another right where we are.
These are not issues of money and materialism - they are issues of choice. We have the choice to balance our love, wisdom and power. We have the choice to accept that what is directly in front of us may very well be the most important thing to focus upon right now. If we cannot look in the mirror and see a sparkle in our eye of joy and happiness, it will be virtually impossible to see the world respond as a mirror to our consciousness.
If we wish to see a new world filled with peace, love, gratitude and joy, we must fill ourselves first with these qualities and then share them to everyone and everything around us. This is the balance of love, wisdom and power in action. Give it a try and see how you can change the world.
Change through Love
What a remarkable time it is and each year has the potential to be even more amazing as we return to love on this beautiful planet we call home. From our vantage point, we can easily see how much change is currently underway in every corner of the globe that signifies this wondrous transformation unfolding in the hearts of everyone. Remember: what begins in our heart manifests in our outer experience of reality.
One by one and after many eons of allowing the illusion of separation to influence us, we are quickly recalling and embracing the oneness of humanity. Whether through our recognition of our interdependent relationship with the environment, the necessity of honest, visionary leadership in business and government, acknowledging the needs of our neighbors in distant lands, or just simply accepting our individual selves without limitation or condition, we are finally standing in our truth and light.
This is all happening by your personal efforts to change and evolve your thoughts and feelings. This change is not one of outer effort, instead it is the constant recognition and release of outdated and limiting beliefs that no longer serve. By acknowledging and letting go of the old worn out journeys of yesterday, each of us is creating a new reality based on love. This release is commonly known as forgiveness and together we are manifesting it as a new paradigm and opportunity to live in harmony.
Such a simple action with such profound results. Isn't this what our various collective seasonal holidays are designed to represent? The many humble teachers that came to prompt us with this simple message of love had no other desire than to remind us of our natural birthright that love is the way.
Ironically, when we remember that love is the answer, we forget there ever was a question. Unconditional love is that way, it knows no duality and therefore, creates no problems. Living daily with our focus on love, any limiting illusions naturally begin to dissolve before us and reveal the appropriate solutions in their place.
In those coming moments where it may be more challenging to see this potential, simply pause and take a deep breath. Your loving wisdom will instantly return and you will become a beacon of this light and love for others to turn to.
Be peace and you will know peace. Be love and you share it with the world.
Change
So much has occurred in recent times and everyone on the planet is being affected to one degree or another by change... earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes to name a few. Yet behind each story is a symbol of hope and new beginnings. Wherever tragedy has appeared, countless expressions of courage, generosity, friendship and assistance, have also appeared - and often from unexpected sources.
We humans are a funny creature in that we crave security and an unchanging world while being outrageously creative and wanting to constantly manifest new experiences. Perhaps we continue to miss the point of true certainty... faith in ourselves while allowing for change.
Every day we are given another opportunity to listen to our own wisdom and trust the inner guidance that is part of each of us. Some days we listen, some days we ignore our wisdom. Yet, day by day we are becoming more aware that only through trusting ourselves do we find that each step is planted firmly.
For example, to have peace is to first become that peace and to really know love is to share the love we have within. Only by being at peace and embodying love can we experience these priceless qualities with others.
Many will pray for peace, however which of us has the courage to embrace and practice peace in our personal daily life? Especially in the face of the often chaotic, challenging and uncertain appearances before us?
This year will no doubt bring numerous opportunities to share our love and inner peace. The key will be our ability to remain calm, centered and balanced in the present moment regardless of the appearances before us. When we can come from this place in our being, we tap the infinite wisdom and perfect inspiration of what to do next.
By being our truth, we become a radiating beacon of love and peace shining our light out into the world and showing the safe way home to our hearts. Now it begins in earnest.
Love: Let's Make It Popular
For so many people, the key missing ingredient to their lives is the simple act of love. Beyond our material possessions, families, relationships, and careers, each of us quietly seeks the feeling and experience of love.
As we move about in our daily routines, faced with ever-increasing issues of stress and challenge, fear and doubt, a soft inner voice is beginning to speak to us. This is the voice of deeper truth and reason.
There is another way, another path. It is a path paved with the conscious use of love. It is going beyond personal love into the realm of unconditional love. It is the recognition that all life deserves love regardless of its appearance or actions. All life is sacred despite any illusion to the contrary.
It is with this recognition that we can affect amazing change in our lives, both personal and global. In fact, right this moment you are affecting life just by your current attitudes, perspectives, thoughts, and feelings. What if you decided to view life with love?
Let's make love a choice and let's make it popular by our word, deed and action. Begin with yourself by loving yourself and then share it with everyone and everything around you. Sound simple? It is.
Love requires no special talent, skill or knowledge. It is held within each of us every moment. We need only realize it is ever present and available to invoke its gift. When we choose love, we receive and share in the beauty of life itself.
A Higher Way
Be aware, not afraid. Each of us has the power within to approach life with strength and courage, wisdom and understanding. In these moments of great change, it is vitally important to know what you know in your heart and have great discernment on what is presented from the outer world.
There is much information being placed in our path right now to invoke fear and a return to old ways of handling situations. It is time to realize we can approach life through love and forgiveness, caring and sharing. It is time to know that we can reveal a higher truth of peace and light -- living a life of unconditional love.
This is practical. It is necessary and it is time for each of us to realize that all life is precious and that we are all one upon this planet. What we have within, we give out. What we give out, returns to us. So if we have love and give it out, only love will return. If we are aware of ourselves and our energy then there is nothing to fear. You make a difference in this world every time you choose love.
Uniting Humanity
Since launching The Love Foundation, our mission and vision has stayed the same all these years, yet our experience and awareness have grown exponentially. What began as a seed dream of hope to remind and inspire people of their natural ability to love unconditionally has now blossomed into a world wide expression of unity - humanity remembering each other as friends and fellow travelers on the journey of life.
For too long we have ignored the inner impulses to awaken from our slumber. Life has been calling to us and showing us that we are all interdependent and interconnected. It is time to greet the new day and celebrate our family of humanity.
What happens to one of us, happens to all. If we allow the illusion of separation to continue, we will fracture the very foundation that supports and nurtures our essence. The journey of unification begins with one heart and one desire - to share the love we have within without condition or judgment.
Perhaps the greatest fear in embracing our universal self is that we may lose our identity as a result. To the contrary, we actually add depth, dimension and brilliance by incorporating the best from one another. True traditions are never lost as they strengthen the foundation that brings us together.
Beginning today, consider seeing the similarities and embrace the differences. Look into the eyes of another and see yourself. Laugh and cry and know that everyone laughs and cries too. Be at peace and know your planetary brother and sister remember you too!
And... let us never forget that the earth is a sentient being that is as alive as all of us. When we forget her, we forget the very beginning of life as we know it on this wondrous orb.
It is time to love from the very depths of our being and reclaim our rightful place upon this world as a unified humanity comprised of magnificent beings filled with unlimited potential in the heart of every form.
Freedom To Love
When we stay focused in the current moment, release our negative attachments to doubts, fears, judgments and opinions, we come from our point of inner power and become a radiating center of love. When we give freedom we receive freedom.
This process is accomplished by constant practice. When we share the vision and intent to see a world of peace and happiness, harmony and liberty, we create an energy of loving possibilities. Likewise, when we focus on chaos and destruction, hatred and exclusion, we form powerful energies with negative consequences. Each moment is up to us as to the reality we wish to empower.
We profit the most when we realize we are one planet and one people. Everything else is an illusion. We are all in this together. Our individual nature is unique yet, as humans, we are all equal and rely upon each other to make this magical dance work. Our differences become the possibilities to expand our awareness.
Make a positive impact this moment by recognizing all others as your fellow brothers and sisters. When you see a friend where an enemy once stood you will know the power of unconditional love.
The Return of Love
As we move forward in the spirit of love, we are grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many of you through our newest program, Global Love Day. In just a few months from our very first announcement, we connected with numerous individuals and organizations around the world. Truly the beginning of a grand adventure.
The overwhelming sentiment from everyone is this is an idea whose time has come - and we couldn't agree more! The simplicity of love is so frequently overshadowed by the appearance of fear and doubt of the moment. Yet we see clearly now that there are many, many people upon this beautiful planet who have the courage, strength and determination to bring love back into our experience.
We may not make front page news with our simple message and idea, however, we know the power of love is bringing about much needed change. Love is the unifying and balancing force that is required if we are ever to experience peace and joy once again in this world. Fear and doubt no longer serve as people awaken to their personal power through love.
Global Love Day was and is meant as a symbol of our unity and oneness. We are all in it together and together we will solve the problems we face as a human race. When we learn to set down our borders and differences we start a new process and a new day. Each of us is a piece of the puzzle and we all must add our energy to bring it together.
Love is wisdom and when used properly, it is also power. This power moves mountains and alters experiences, always in a positive way. When we love, we connect with the deepest part of ourselves and coming from our heart - we cannot fail.
Many ask why we do not invoke a particular religion, creed, dogma, or approach. To us, the universal nature of love is Universal. Every master teacher has always referred to only one thing: Love. Maybe as an evolving humanity, in our zeal to understand the various teacher's of the past, we lost sight of this simple message.
Perhaps, now is the time to practice the message for ourselves and restore the truth that has been uttered throughout history... love is the answer.
On May 1, 2004 we experienced the first Global Love Day and around the world courageous individuals gathered together with only one thought, love. History may yet record this day as the return of love.
Powerful Times
We are currently witnessing and participating in some of the most challenging and powerful moments on this planet. One by one we are awakening and recognizing the power of love over fear, peace over war, and harmony over discord. It is a choice that we each carry within us every moment. We hold the power within to make a difference right now. Despite anything we may hear or see to the contrary, we shape our world and destiny by our intent. It is becoming increasingly important to be aware of our thoughts and feelings and discern our truth. By keeping our attention upon the images we desire in our heart and off of the suggestions from outside influences, we are forming a more peaceful and prosperous future.
Experiencing Love
Love is the universal power that binds us all together and brings meaning to life. Yet, how many of us experience this love in our daily lives? Who among us can consciously focus and become this love each moment? The answer is simple: anyone and everyone.
We are all capable of experiencing love all the time because love is contained in all experiences. There is never a time when love is unavailable. It is always there. Love is the creative force within all things. We are the only ones who forget this truth.
The key to experiencing love more frequently is to seek it out and become it. Wherever there is fear, doubt, anger, hatred, resentment, or judgment, we have an opportunity to find love. We do this by first invoking forgiveness. To forgive ourselves and others is the beginning step to realizing the love held within life.
Every amount of effort we can place in this process is worth it. By using forgiveness and invoking love we transform our world. It is the only way to free ourselves and others of limitation and negative experiences.
Decide today to make love a priority. Do what comes naturally and follow your heart. Listen within, forgive yourself and others, and ask for the truth of love to become your experience. Make it your intent and it shall become your experience.
Encourage Love
Around the world people are becoming aware of the power of love. It is amazing to realize that something so simple has seemingly eluded humanity for so long. Yet, where once there were borders, walls are coming down. Where we previously saw an enemy, we now are beginning to see family - our fellow brother and sister. As our hearts open we remember their tear is our tear, their laughter is our laughter. We are finally awakening to the fact that we are all one people upon this planet.
So much change is occurring as old traditions, methods and beliefs are transforming into new ways of living. Cooperation is replacing competition, forgiveness is healing revenge and hate, and fear is being transmuted through love. These are the real issues of life that are truly altering our experience and setting the stage for a peaceful future.
What can one person do to make a difference? Encourage love. The best thing we can do every moment of every day is to be a beacon of love. When we accept love in our hearts and see through the eyes of love, our collective world changes at that moment. We literally transform life each time we accept and share love.
Why would something so simple be difficult to embrace? This is due to our long held perception of separation and division from love. We have forgotten that love exists every moment and is available to us merely by its recognition. Instead, we trained ourselves over the centuries to believe that life is harsh and that somehow fear and doubt are more real than the all pervading power of love.
Make this moment one of love and you automatically bring it with you into the next moment. Practice this often and your life becomes the love you seek.
New Beginnings
Every moment of every day is a new beginning. This can be a powerful mantra or affirmation. The meaning held in these words opens us to a new way of living and experiencing life. Each moment holds a new beginning of possibility and an opportunity to create without limitation. We can let go of what we perceive or believe is before us and allow our personal potential to shine through. Start each day as a new journey of self discovery. Let go of yesterday and tomorrow and embrace the power of now. Remind yourself daily of the newness of life in the moment.
Power of Peace
So many people are calling, praying and demanding peace upon our beloved planet right now. Let us all be reminded that true peace is found when we are at peace within. Be at peace and you create a world of peace. Do not just pray for peace, become peace itself.
Take the time to find the natural peace that resides within and you add to the real feeling of peace to everyone and everything around you. Let go of your fears and doubts and that of others. Be extremely discerning in what you focus your attention upon right now and question the messages and reflections. If it is loving, expand it. If it is less than loving, critical or in any way invokes hatred, fear or anger, release it and return to peace.
It is an amazing time and many would like to make you think that doom and despair, fear and attack, are waiting around every corner. Don't believe it. Create your own pictures of reality and fill them with peace and love. Walk in joy and harmony and know that all is well.
You can add your energy to this vision by contemplating peace and tapping into the higher desire for peace at any moment. This is especially helpful when you choose a particular time each day (for example 9 p.m.) to feel and think about peace for a few minutes, building a sustainable rhythm and habit.
One World
This is one planet, one world, one humanity. It has always been this way and always will be. In our daily efforts, however, we often forget that we are all connected in a beautiful and magical dance... the dance of love.
What a different world we experience when we understand the power of loving unconditionally. We see each other as fellow brothers and sisters on a wondrous journey. Each of us shares our wisdom, talent, and our unique perspective on life. In this way, diversity becomes the rich tapestry of our personal interconnectedness and interdependence.
Take a moment to realize your ability to love and be loved. Allow the truth to permeate your existence. Be at peace with yourself and the world will mirror peace back to you. Share your love with others and all will benefit.
Healing of America
By Harold W. Becker
(September 13, 2001)
Dear Friends,
There is a silent revolution going on within a seeming chaos of changes on Earth. One by one, people around the world are awakening to a force and power that is transforming the course of all humanity. An inner impulse is driving us forward and asking us to evolve beyond our current reality. This silent force promises to change forever the way we live on this planet. We, as a race of people, are becoming consciously aware of unconditional love.
I wrote these words as the beginning of the first chapter of my second book in 1996. At the time, I thought I understood the power held within this vision. Only this week, have I come to know even more what it means. That which I perceived only a few years ago became more real to me in light of the current events of this week in America and beyond.
This is a global event of such magnitude as to awaken each of us to a higher understanding. It is a reminder that we are ONE family. What happens to one, happens to all. It is no longer them out there; it is me and us right here. There is no us and them anymore. These events occurred because of our collective thoughts and feelings, not as an earthly cataclysm. Man's inhumanity to man made it happen. We have to see ourselves this time. We cannot blame God or Mother Nature. It is our creation.
What I think and feel adds to the equation of this event. What I thought and felt yesterday, or the year before, or the moment before, adds to this collective consciousness. The same goes for you. We are all connected. We all contributed to its manifestation.
Our collective fears, doubts, angers, envy, jealousy, hatred, greed, bigotry and limiting beliefs were placed on our screen of life for all to witness and observe. Our individual and collective reaction speaks of our understanding and recognition of the true cause: Ourselves.
The events witnessed were only the effect of an eternity of personal choices. Who among us has not and does not feel the rage at times deep within? Who among us has not acted upon that same rage? To witness the choices of a few is to realize the potential in us all. We are all capable of destruction. We do it every day. Not in our actions alone - rather by our thoughts and feelings held within. These perspectives, opinions, and beliefs are the seed of form. These thoughts and feelings kill as surely as the action of the physical. They are primal energy. Collected and suppressed over time, negative destructive thoughts and feelings become the murder and the terrorism, war, pollution, and dis-ease, all acted out when the pressure becomes too great.
We can change. We are changing. We can alter our thoughts and feelings to something positive, constructive and loving. It is time to return to the wholeness of ourselves. We can alter our perception of reality of the past, present, and future by our individual choice. This magnificent power has always been there, we have chosen to ignore it. For one reason or another, the path of unconditional love and the action of forgiveness have been cast aside as too difficult, unattainable or unworthy of our humanness. My friends, love is more real than the illusion that manifested this week.
For over a dozen years, I have searched, practiced, and at times preached the power of unconditional love. Throughout this time I have come to learn one thing -- the difference is in me. In the end and in the beginning, it is up to me to choose the higher path, the higher thought, and the higher feeling. No one can do it for me, nor can I do it for another. This is a personal journey. All are called - few have chosen (in the past). It is time for strength and courage unlike anything seen before on this planet. It is silent, because it is our inner world. It is the realm of our thoughts and feelings deep within. It is the chatter that endlessly goes on in our mind and the feelings that reverberate throughout our body every moment. It is our personal power that no one can ever take away from us. This is all about me. It is all about you. It is all about us.
Which side do you wish to explore and become -- that which has been or that which you can become? It is a weak person who sits in judgment and condemns another's action. It takes no courage to aim a gun and pull a trigger. It is ignorance that chooses war, for in truth, that which affects one, affects all. There are those who would like to convince us of the chaos, decay, and impending doom of our planetary society. Through a constant barrage of images and suggestions, we are led to believe that negativity has its hold upon us. Through doubt and fear, we are expected to conform to the rituals, traditions, and prescribed formats of living. These collective few wish to restrict our liberty and freedom. They are loud and seemingly everywhere present. These individuals, unconscious of themselves and life itself, have forgotten the power of unconditional love.
You have the power of choice in every moment. The choice begins with your attention. Not to the outer world; instead the power is held within the inner world of your thoughts and feelings. Pay attention inside for a moment. Become self-aware. Observe your inner world and notice which thoughts and feelings are yours and which are not. Contemplate peace and unconditional love. Feel what happens to you. Realize your individual power to direct your inner attention and therefore your outer action. Choose wisely and watch your world transform.
Feel the power of forgiveness and use it for all of your past accumulated hurt, pain and suffering. Forgive it and let it go, it has served you well. Expand this feeling of forgiveness and turn to your friends, relatives, coworkers, countrymen, and yes, your perceived enemies. Realize the reflection. Recognize the potential. Choose a higher path. Choose unconditional love. Bring heaven on earth this day in your heart and mind. As you choose for yourself, you add to the collective. You can change reality. You already have. I thank you and send my blessings.
Love, light and peace,
Harold W. Becker (c) 2001
Love in the New Millennium
By Harold W. Becker
Love is finding its way back into the heart of humanity.
There is a new dawn upon the horizon. As the new millennium comes into view, humanity is facing the greatest opportunity ever. We, the people of this earth, can choose to bring unconditional love with us as our personal and planetary expression. Behind us, we leave fear and doubt and all negative destructive activities. Before us are the infinite possibilities of loving each other and this beautiful world. Peace, prosperity, compassion, harmony, and joy are just a few of the qualities we can express through our infinite potential and exquisite love.
Through our thoughts and feelings, we manifest our physical world every moment. In other words, wherever we place our attention, that is what we create. Every person can consciously choose which way they wish to live. Whether it is love or fear, we all experience the consequences of the energy we send forth. Knowing this, we can accept our responsibility as creators and choose to express a higher energy of unconditional love.
As the sun has set upon this last century, we can release the struggle and strife of a limited reality. The illusion of negativity and its expressions of greed, hatred, anger, fear, and criticism, can all be left behind. These destructive qualities are only as real as we allow them to be through our conscious attention. When we choose to express ourselves from love, these lower energies cease to exist.
Humankind has always had the potential and key to create a world of peace and plenty, beauty and harmony. It is time we use it and unlock the possibility of a new future. By turning to unconditional love and making it our focus in life, each of us becomes a ray in the sunrise of this new dawn. When we make the effort to change personally, we change the world around us.
Our journey is taking a quantum leap in expression as we recognize our individual limitless power. As the millennium unfolds, we can forgive the mistakes of the past and move forward blazing a trail into this next century and beyond. Beginning with love for ourselves, we can expand our reality by touching everyone with this love. Each of us can make a difference when we let our heart guide the way.
Carry the qualities of unconditional love with you everywhere you go and in everything you do. Strive to be the best you can be in all of your efforts and love yourself without condition or limitation. In this way, hope to be a model to possibly inspire others to seek love in their own unique way. Together, you and I are the visionaries of a future filled with magnificent prospects for a fantastic world.
(c) 2000 Harold W. Becker
Our journey is taking a quantum leap in expression as we recognize our individual limitless power.
Harold W. Becker