To be In Love
Recognizing the light within and all around you
To be In Love is to exist within a state of constant Loving awareness
Loving everything that you are aware of
To be aware is a gift
To be In Love is to melt into this awareness
Our spirit knows Love
In Love fear has no home
An open heart welcomes truth
God is Love
Feel the wind, see God
Feel the sun's rays, see God
Look at yourself, see Love
Look at yourself, see God
God is within and all around
To be In Love is to be Green
Heart chakra emanating light
Energy flowing freely
Extending your Love
Receiving Love
To be in Love is to return to nature
Our true nature, a state of being
To be In Love is to be unique
we are all unique in our ways of being
I am Love
I am Loving awareness
I am loving Awareness
I am awareness
-Lee Sunshine (2023)
Podcast to go along with today’s blog, for the auditory learners out there
Earlier this week I watched a Radical self love video by Jubilee, which encouraged me to share my own thoughts about this topic. In the video she talks about having to show up for her self before being able to show up for others. This made me think, what is my definition of radical self love? and why is it radical to love yourself in world that has forgotten all about love?
So I gave myself this week to focus on self love and what that means to me beyond the regular doing my hair, taking salt baths and my day to day self care practices. Writing this now I am realizing that there is a difference between Self love and Self care, why is this difference not talked about more?
Getting to the root of what Self love is, outside of caring for ones needs, can help you cultivate more loving energy within. If loving yourself goes beyond making sure you are cared after, then what is left over? Well…
Self Love is Rad because it requires you to speak positively towards yourself and others. Words are powerful, they carry thought into form and therefore bring thoughts to life. Being mindful of the words you surround yourself with, whether it’s from music, a podcast or tv show, is important. All of what you say and expose yourself to becomes a blueprint for your subconscious to learn from and adapt to. So why not say nice things to yourself, positive affirmations, instead of beating yourself down.
To be loving of yourself is to honor your word as a way of showing yourself that you believe in the words that you speak, enough to put action behind what you say.
Radical self love means that your sovereignty and authentic expression are never jeopardized out of fear or to make others more comfortable.
Self love means to forgive your past selves for what they did not know
Self love is to remain curious and open to new knowledge (no matter the form it presents itself)
Self love is removing pressure that stems from expectations that are external to yourself
Self love is to shoot for a higher self, a higher frequency each and everyday
Self love is to BE Loving because as human beings we are manifestations of love, to be anything other than that is to go against nature
I hope these were helpful as you continue forming your own definitions of radical self love.
To answer the second question I posed at the start of today’s blog, I’d say that self love is radical because it calls for people to turn within instead of relying on external beings or things to give you what you already have. Once you tap into the abundant source of love that you are, meaning can be found in even the smallest of things.
The next time someone asks if you love yourself, I hope you can say “Yes I do, isn’t it rad?”
I wanted to start a podcast… so I did. I’m following my faith and doing what I love, that love has brought me here. I will share many thoughts within these episodes. My hope is that I can inspire at least one person to do what makes them happy and BE the Being that they came here to be. We all deserve to be happy and free to Create, Express & Love.
Below you’ll find the introduction to my podcast. In it I recite a poem and set the tone for what I hope to be a long series of reflections. Speaking aloud and listening to others speak has always been healing to me. Hearing words that resonate can trigger changes within or even just a simple perspective shift. With this in mind I began sharing my words on this blog and through my podcast in September 2021. The next few blog posts will be spot lights on my previous podcast episodes from this year. In 2022 there will be many more!
Do you have a favorite self help/self love/inspiring podcast? Comment below!
Thank you for listening to my podcast, feel free to share.
Music is one of my loves in this life of mine. I am soul grateful for sound, and the creativity that inspires beings generation after generation to make music that touches the hearts and minds of many. Lately I’ve found myself getting back into the way I fell in love with music; listening to music every day, starting the day with music, watching music videos and dancing. I started sharing music from my custom spotify playlists on Instagram awhile ago but didn’t keep up with it during the winter time. Now that I have this space to share, I wanted to write about some of my fav sounds of the moment. This week I am really vibing with Verdigris by the lovelee Gus Dapperton, a being of many talents who makes me wanna dance and sing with his upbeat voice and lively keyboard solos. I’ve been listening to this non-stop since last week and was excited to start my week with this song this rising. It is they type of song that calls you in and makes you want to sing along, a lot of Gus Dapperton’s music has that affect it seems. This entire album has no skips, not a pause, not a flop. Wether you’re making dinner or on your way out these sounds can make the moment feel great.
My new fav pop girlies
Another fav this week takes us back in time to a cute popy 80s vibe with crushcrushcrush by the lovelee duo Coco & Clair Clair. I wish I would’ve discovered this song in the summer time 😩 but it is so good to hear it now. Super cute and upbeat, the lyrics are dope as well. Coco & Clair Clair never disappoint with the simple yet quirky bars in their songs. My fav line is
“Let’s hang & watch Purple Rain (Pow pow) You’ve got my attention (Pow pow) You kind of look like a duck But a bitch might start quackin’ (Pow)”
10/21/21 Today I watched Coco & Clair Clair videos for the first time and just had to come back to give them their due just. Their music slaps, its catchy and super cute. When I’m rapping and singing along I feel like I’m talking to one of my girlfriends who always makes me laugh. Their videos are very original and funny, they seem like artists true to their ways. I’m for sure a fan, now I’ll be looking forward to their next album. Here are a couple more jams from the duo that I’m enjoying on this lovely Thursday afternoon:
“To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients - care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication.”- Bell Hooks, truth teller
This weekend marked the one year anniversary of my union with my partner.In the past I found myself at opposite ends with those I came to express my love to, now as I write this I can’t help but remember these ends and how different, yet similar they are to the energy I carry now. Being in a relationship, in my opinion, calls for a certain degree of responsibility. You have a bond, a connection that can give you a chance to see yourself in the eyes of another. Like a mirror. God has blessed me with a partner who helps me to innerstand my ways of being and therefore provides me with the divine opportunity to either change or embrace them. Much of who I am, that I have rediscovered this far, revolves around love. Love is so powerful so it makes sense. Looking back at the past 365 plus days I have spent getting to know and bonding with my partner has taught me some lovelee things:
Patience is a gift, giving and expressing patience is an act of love
It is ok to laugh, to feel the joy within
Un-divided attention is more intentional than attention alone
Inspiration can come from anywhere in your life
Nothing is a coincidence
Courage and love speak louder than fear
Speak to your love as you would speak to yourself, tone is everything
Learning how someone else best receives love, teaches you the best way to give them love
Your relationship is what YOU and YOUR PARTNER decide it is, nothing more and nothing less
Be with someone who makes you feel safe
Be with someone who matches your level of optimism for life
Sharing really is caring
Communicating past fear shows you why the fear didn’t need to be there
Common interests are nice, but difference in perspective helps you both grow
Love thyself first and genuine love will find you
You really can find someone who loves you for you
Reflecting on the love that has found me fills my heart with joy. I have a best friend, lover, muse, protector, and partner. I feel grateful, even for the times when things aren’t the way I think they should be. Everything that happens happens with purpose. The day I met my partner I was with two of my great friends, they’d come to visit me in my new home here in Chicago. A great day and at the end I had a chance encounter with the person I have since come to love and grow close to. It is wild how time seems to work. 365 days, an entire year just like that. I find myself trying to constantly savor our lives as they are right now, because some day I know we will have grown older and we will begin to think of the moments we loved the most. I want to think of all the moments I loved the most, savoring them in the now will help. Being in a relationship is a blessing, truly. I hope that whoever reads this and wants love, that you find it. I believe as beings we are all capable of being loved and loving another, love is source. Bless
– Lee Sunshine
Podcast/ Video if you’d like to hear me talk more about this topic
