Taking Down The Walls

In Ginny Owen's song, "No Borders," she sings about taking down the borders and boundaries that keep us separate from feeling connected to love. "I hid behind the comfort of my castle, where everything is up to me. These walls are high, but not enough to drown out the whispers and wonderings of what I haven't seen. You call me to the great unknown of what you have for me..."
Ginny is describing the deep longing of every human heart: to tear down the differences between two  different people and to love with reckless abandon. Having surrendered, Ginny says the borders and boundaries that appeared to be solid and impenetrable will, in one glorious moment, melt in the bright white heat of love.

Giving love with no guarantee of return is beyond risky, which is why our minds tell us to withhold, to play it safe, to stay within the confines of familiarity. Yet traveling outside of the familiar, pushing ourselves out of the known and secure is where joy and freedom are found. It's a quandary, isn't it? We can't experience the fullness of life unless we agree to expand beyond our comfort zones. Life is asking each of us: How far are you willing to go to have your dreams? What are you willing to do to be the person you want to be? Over and over we must defeat fear and defy the voice that would keep us satisfied with so little.

Neuroscientists have concluded that we can train our minds to act more courageously in everyday life by being willing to risk failure and even criticism. When it comes to fear, as psychologist Noam Shpancer declared: "There is no way around, there is only a way through." It's true: the most effective way to conquer fear is by repeatedly putting yourself in circumstances that will require you to face them. By practicing "courageous acts" you actually re-wire the brain's circuitry so that the feared element doesn't have the power to intimidate you like it once did. You find that the thing you feared most becomes a path to greater self-expression. Best of all, love has a chance to creep in when you're not looking. Dr. Brene Brown, the author of, Daring Greatly, and researcher on the science of human connection says, "We have to figure out how we’re currently protecting ourselves from vulnerability. What is our armor? Perfectionism? Intellectualizing? Cynicism? Numbing? Control? That’s where I started. It’s not an easy walk into that arena, but it’s where we come alive."

To build a character of courage, you must continually work the muscle of courage, and though at first it seems like it might be impossible to take down the walls you've spent a lifetime erecting, the secret is found in dismantling your unwanted self brick by brick, day by day. One fine morning you will be able to peek over the wall and there won't be anything blocking you from the great unknown. You'll be free to live unhindered and love passionately. Sound good?

Then ready, set...LOVE.

To see all of Devi Nina's books: http://www.amazon.com/Nina-Bingham/e/B008XEX2Z0