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(reposted from the Huffington Post)<\/p><\/div>\n
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There is a wonderful Japanese proverb that says: Fall down seven times, stand up eight.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n In life, we get many chances, many opportunities, many do-overs<\/em>. When we\u2019ve been hurt, abandoned, embarrassed or ashamed, we can be left feeling as though we are on our proverbial knees. It\u2019s hard to care or even want to try again. We become apathetic, indifferent, numb or hard. We are tired. We get beat up in love and just don\u2019t want to bother. Teenagers say it best in that slangy, twangy way, and with a dramatic roll of the eyes, \u201cwhat…ever<\/em>.\u201d These hurt feelings can get buried deep in our bones, and over time, a deep sense of resignation can begin to apply to everything, especially our hearts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And it\u2019s our hearts especially, because this is where we are the most vulnerable. More than almost any other subject, love is where it hurts most, because it\u2019s personal<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We never want to be in that position again. We say, \u201cI am never going to open my heart up again like that to anyone!<\/em>\u201c And then, we don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And there we are.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Alone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, how do you open your heart again, knowing full well that you could get hurt?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Love is vulnerable. And vulnerability feels, well, vulnerable<\/em>! It must, or it would cease to actually be<\/em> vulnerable. There is just no getting around this part of it. To open our hearts, we need to take our guards down – and be<\/em> vulnerable. If we don\u2019t our lives will suffer for it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And, if somehow, we do manage to get into a relationship with our hearts closed and guarded, the relationship will suffer for it. Our partner will complain that they can\u2019t reach us, that we\u2019re not really there. Because we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you close your heart off to love, you are basically closing your heart off to life, too. You can\u2019t close off love in just one place. It will be global. Every part of your life will be affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n From a spiritual perspective it is ALL about love. It\u2019s only<\/em> about love – the love of our family, our friends, our neighbors, our enemies, and most importantly, ourselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, you have to take the risk, right? You have to know going in that you likelycould<\/em>, and maybe will<\/em>, get your heart broken. And still<\/em>, be willing to love again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That\u2019s love in action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That\u2019s falling down seven times, getting up eight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Diana Lang is a spiritual teacher and author of OPENING TO MEDITATION – www.DianaLang.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n