Love is Always the Answer

On this anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr (4/4/68), I am renewing my commitment to living in the light.  I saw this message to Iran from Israel this morning and teared up (it doesn’t take much for me) – they were stressing that while their leadership may be promoting hate and fear, they had nothing but love in their hearts.  It was truly powerful – I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch it.  This is the type of love that can drive away hate, as Martin Luther King, Jr. so poignantly stated in the quote below.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr (Strength to Love)

 I have found in my own life, especially recently, that love is ALWAYS the answer.  No matter what situation I find myself in, when I choose love (or compassion, forgiveness, etc.) instead of hate I feel a sense of peace and joy that I know for sure would not have come by choosing hate.  There can be so much pressure by society to retaliate when someone offends or hurts us, but when we choose love and forgiveness instead we free ourselves.  We free our hearts and minds from any resentment, bitterness, or hate so that we can give and receive more love.  I know I am not perfect, so who am I to require others to be perfect?  When I make a mistake, I want others to forgive me…why would I deny them of the same unconditional love I am seeking?

This is easier to put into action with the minor day-to-day situations that come up in life, so my challenge to myself now is to forgive and love all people unconditionally – no matter what they did.  I am no better than anyone else.  We are all God’s children and have equal potential.  Something that has been on my heart for a while is working with youth in the juvenile justice system.  I’m excited to start volunteering this month at a local youth detention center which houses young men and women here in DC that are involved with the system.  We are not our mistakes…I want them to know that no matter what they did, they are forgiven and can go on to have the live they choose to.

Keep shining!

~Kandace

About the Author: Kandace Jones

I used to live life shackled by fear, doubt, and worry. I put on a happy face while navigating my day-to-day duties, but I was emotionally drained, stressed, and unhappy. When I hit rock bottom, and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, I was determined to live life differently. I knew there had to be another way. Out of that determination, and guidance from Spirit, the "Living in the Light" blog was born. It documents my spiritual journey out of the darkness and into the Light. After nine months of publicly sharing my journey, and consciously releasing my attachment to the ego, I experienced a powerful spiritual awakening. I went from living in fear, doubt, worry, and stress to complete inner peace. My greatest passion has become assisting others on their own journey to inner peace. My spiritual memoir, From Stress to Peace: An Intimate Journal on the Journey from Living in Darkness to Living in the Light, is available now on Amazon and BN.com. Click the tabs at the top of the page to learn more about the From Stress to Peace 21-Day Challenge, Living in the Light Retreats, 1:1 sessions, and the Living in the Light Community - all of which are designed to support your journey to inner peace. I appreciate you taking the time to visit the blog and look forward to supporting you in any way I can!