(You can LISTEN to this blog by clicking BE STEADFAST VIDEO)
Steadfast ins’t a word we hear or use a lot these days. Some may have heard it from time to time in Sunday School or church. But it’s not a daily life kind of word for most of us.
Well, today, we’re gonna change that!
Steadfast means resolutely firm and unwavering. Immovable.
So, you might be asking — how is that possible right now, when the landscape of our world seems to have so radically altered? And how is that even good — when really what we need to learn is to be more flexible, to go with the flow, to let go of all our best laid plans?
Well, yes yes and yes. All those things are important. Vital even. Releasing our human will right now could not be more essential. Because it’s only when we release all that human will that we can lean into the healing power of Love. AND. . . that’s when we become steadfast. Steadfast in our reliance, confidence, joy, hope, faith, understanding, belief, trust in Love.
But how do we do that when we’re being bombarded by bad news and dire predictions?
Well, how do we do anything that seems hard? We keep doing it — no matter what.
One of the reasons that so many of us love sports is because athletes seem to do what the rest of us can’t. They dedicate themselves to something and they don’t give up! They know that to play their sport well they have to practice every day. And so they hit thousands of tennis balls or swim thousands of laps.
Michael Phelps swim nearly 50 miles a week. He has been doing this since childhood. He practices twice a day when he is in peak training and does this for six hours a day six days a week. Much has been written about how Phelps’ physiognomy makes him uniquely suited to be one of the greatest swimmers of all time. But that’s not enough. He has to practice.
I Googled “How many tennis balls has Roger Federer hit in his lifetime?” In 2010, the estimate was 50-75 million. Ten years later, Federer is still playing at the highest of the game. Which makes that total closer to 150 million! Yes. To be the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) you have to hit a lot of tennis balls.
So what does all that have to do with the rest of us?
We are all being called to become Love practitioners. And what I mean by this is for us to dedicate ourselves to leaning into, listening to, practicing, sharing, trusting the healing power of Love.
Look: It doesn’t matter what your spiritual belief system is or isn’t. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in what the world calls a traditional Higher Power. Deep down we all know that Love is the Answer. Love is All There Is. And that Love powers our whole world. We’ve just forgotten to live that way.
We’ve lived as if the world is our playground and someone else is going to come clean up after us.
One of the reasons that we are all so moved by the music and messages of hope that we are seeing from around the world is because we are so relieved to know that we humans are still capable of showing up with our whole hearts.
Well, of course we are! We’re a heart-driven species who have been deluded into believing that this is a head-driven world.
These messages of Love are going viral, and they are giving us all hope. They are bringing many of us healing. And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Not all of us can sing or play instruments or teach yoga from rooftops. But each and every one of us CAN be steadfast in Love.
We can refuse to entertain fear — and learn to listen only to Love.
We can choose to respond in kindness and compassion no matter the encounter.
We can elect not to react when someone shows up as less than their best self.
We can practice living from our hearts in everything we do.
THIS is being steadfast in Love.
And if each and every one of us practice this like Phelps swims laps or Federer hits tennis balls, we WILL demonstrate the healing power of Love in our own lives and that WILL heal our planet.
So right now, we need to be STEADFAST in our heart-centered practices.
All athletes have coaches and training partners. Michael Phelps didn’t just hop in the pool at age 5 and swim his way to the Olympics. And Federer didn’t hit those 150 million tennis balls against a backboard.
We need to help one another in our heart-centered practice.
So today, let’s help each other be steadfast in gratitude.
When fear arises, counter it with three things for which you are grateful. Anything that comes to mind will do. Invoke gratitude and fear will retreat. I promise.
Take a moment to text or email someone you know and thank them for being them.
Thank every customer service or delivery person you talk with or meet.
Thank the person who moves off the sidewalk as you come toward them.
Thank you neighbors.
Thank your family, your roommates, your dog, your friends.
Thank the birds singing in the morning. Thank the roof over your head.
When you fill you thoughts with gratitude, they are filled with Love. And there’s less and less room for fear.
Mary Oliver wrote: Be still, my soul, and steadfast. Earth and heaven both are still watching. . .let the heart still play its true part. Love still as once you loved, deeply and without patience. Let God and the world know you are grateful. That the gift has been given.
Today let’s take our cue from Mary Oliver and be steadfast in our love. Love as we once loved as children. Deeply and without patience. Let’s let everyone know how grateful we are. And that, no matter what the news tells us, we know what a gift Life and Love are — and then, in Love, through Love, as Love — let’s give thanks. Together!