Lorraine had made fairly good progress toward happiness in Real Love for a year. But then she came to me and said, “I seem to have hit a plateau of some kind. I had lost a lot of my fear. I feel much happier than I used to, but now my growth seems to have stopped.”
I suggested that what she was missing was some kind of connection to God—or the Divine, by whatever name she chose to call it.
“I don’t believe in organized religion,” she said.
“I wasn’t talking about religion,” I responded. “I am saying that all the love you have received to this point—from many loving people—is nothing but an extension or reflection of a divine, infinite love. Until you connect to that Source directly, you will simply be limited. I’m not telling you what to do, only describing how things are.”
Several years ago I planted a row of large holly bushes in my yard, which I hoped would form an attractive and effective hedge between two areas of the property. Most of the bushes grew fairly well, but we’ve had several unusually dry summers in a row, and the Georgia clay became dry and very hard. The roots of some of the plants failed to penetrate the rock-like clay, so instead they circled around within the original hole I dug for the plant.
Eventually, the roots filled the hole, much as they would have done in a pot, unable to extend out into the soil in a way where they could get enough water and nutrients for good health. So the plants began to turn yellow and die.
So I dug up the dying plants and excavated an enormous hole in the ground, perhaps a hundred times the volume of the previous holes, and I planted new trees, surrounded by soft and fertile soil. The trees will grow to their full size—fifty feet high and sixteen feet across.
We all want to be happy, but often we are placed in circumstances where we cannot thrive. With half measures, we can increase the volume and nutrients to some extent, but this has only a small effect on our limitations. If we want to grow to our full capacity, we need to connect to all the love and guidance we need—to an unlimited supply, much as I provided for my plants in their new home.
