"And in the end, the love you take/Is equal to the love you make."
--Paul McCartney

These days, it can be pretty hard sometimes to find reasons to love and forgive, time to cherish and restore, words that heal and nourish.  But the more I practice giving, the more I see that certain laws of cause and effect are well in operation and serve to provide momentum for more.  Deepak Chopra’s Second Law of Spiritual Success states that putting the Law of Giving into effect need not be complicated or costly.  It can be giving “a compliment, a flower, or a prayer.  Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and the lives of others.”  Thus done, the Third Law of Karma ensures that what we put forth will return to us, often many-fold.  Not that this is our purpose or intent, for the joy that comes from giving is purpose enough.  But we have to eat, and have shelter, and raise our families – why not walk through life knowing that everything that comes to us is in response to our own giving – of our Selves, our time, our care – instead of a function of the time we’ve “put in”, or who we know, or what we’ve paid to get what we have?  Why not create a new currency of caring, of deep connection, not just with family and friends but within ourselves to nurture that part of us that knows – really deeply knows – that love is the only real force on this Earth?

So I give you my personal Creed; one that came to me a number of years ago and hasn’t really been altered since.

I believe in Love.

I believe in the healing power of Faith.

I believe that Hope conquers Fear.

And I believe in the authority of every individual to choose a life of Joy and Fulfillment.

In Love and Spirit,
Leslie