Is home where the heart is? YOU are the ‘Pulse’

“If there is harmony in the house there will be order in the nation” 

I was lying awake the other night, tossing and turning. Recent events were weighing on my mind. The Orlando shooting at Pulse has been one of many heartbreaks. I began to pray, meditating on sending love to those I know are hurting, the souls that left our Earth through recent tragic events, their families, and loved ones. 

I’ve seen so many people in heartache and I asked myself what can I do? How can I help? And sure there is donating money and that’s good. It helps. But, in a different way than I am thinking of. Yes, you can pray/meditate, and absolutely we can look at how to get a better grip on who is able to get guns in this country. But again, that is an external solution.

But, there’s something else. This is an issue rooted more deeply. There is something deeper. How can we start today, right now, to actually make a difference? And it got me to thinking about the kind of person who would want to go out and hurt others or take their lives. The pain and the suffering that kind of a person must be in. And it got me to thinking about why a person would be in so much pain and suffering. Although, there can be many reasons/factors I truly believe it starts in the home, the immediate environment, those closest to that person {or not}, those who had direct and immediate influence and do on a daily basis.

What is ‘out there’ is a reflection of what is ‘in here’. We may not like to look at that because we prefer to see these horrible things as separate from us. As if we are not connected to it in any way. But, that is part of the problem. And if it’s part of the problem. We are waking up to that untruth. We ARE connected. We are becoming more and more conscious of this. It’s evolution. And YOU can make a direct impact by starting on what’s right in front of you right now. Who is in front of you right now?

It begins with the little things. People who cause harm to others have been hurting for a LONG time. It didn’t happen overnight and it began with a little thing. If you are condemning others for what ‘they’ have done but in your home and relationships you are hurtful, hateful, unforgiving, overly critical, controlling, or just plain mean you are contributing to the problem. Forgive yourself. Extend love. Find Compassion. See beyond the surface. See what’s good about those around you. Find love for those it is hardest to extend love to. And if it is difficult to do so then remove yourself and send love from afar.

Tell people, and especially those close to you, what’s good about them. See their beauty. Share what’s beautiful. Find a way in your heart to uplift those closest to you. Find what they’re doing right. Recognize when they act out in small ways that it’s a cry for love, for help. Talk about it. Communicate. Create a safe space for open expression. Love them. Extend the love you want to see in the world in your home first. And if that feels like a challenge to you then go back to the beginning. Begin with you. Go back to finding that love, forgiveness, communication, and understanding for yourself FIRST.