It has been a little over two months since I have returned from the Oprah’s Ultimate Australia Adventure and each day something happens to remind me of this enlightening journey. Valentine’s Day offers a special opportunity to recall the overwhelming sense of love that flowed on this trip. The 300 audience members who traveled Down Under featured a smorgasbord of all kinds of couples…mothers and children, siblings, lovers and friends. Regardless of their differences the note which sounded most clearly in this group was love!
Expressing love allowed each day in Australia to flow with creativity and imagination. No matter what was going on in our lives back home, the group lived fully in the now.
Since coming back there are all kind of challenges going on for many of us. Chronic unemployment, foreclosures, health challenges and weather changes are creating a frightening time for many in our group. Feeling love does not erase all of this! What this emotion does do is it opens you up to believing there are infinite opportunities and wonderful adventures available to all of us! Remaining open is what changes things. The more seasoned you are to experiencing love the more capable you are to responding in the moment to whatever happens to you in life.
Here are three steps to help you focus on love this Valentine’s Day:
1. Meditate on “I am loving awareness.” In his book, Be Love Now, Ram Dass calls spiritual practice and meditation the foundation for living in the present. When we express compassion in our heart for ourselves, this frees us from carrying around the emotional clutter of old habits, regrets and residues of deep hurts and fears.
2. Create a spiritual community. Hang out with people who are on the same journey. It has been remarkable watching 14 women who traveled to the Northern Territory together, continue to maintain regular contact through emails and conference calls. In a very sense Oprah’s Ultimate Australia Adventure trip created this for us.
3. Biggest step is surrendering. Letting go of the stuff that keeps you from moving forward is the only way to truly embrace life. We watched who people who traveled to Down Under give up their fear of heights, water, groups and even the unknown! Surrendering to love is an ongoing process. it does not mean that you won’t face pain or disappointments.
The Ultimate Australian Adventure was in many ways a constant stream of love. The lessons learned from this experience are still unfolding for many who traveled on this amazing trip with Oprah. For many it has fortified their self worth, expanded their view of the world and allowed them to once again remember how it feels to experience love!
