Let’s talk for a moment about falling in love. Think about the last time you fell in love with someone or the person with whom you are in love. How does it feel? First off, it’s exciting. The thought of seeing them, spending time, sharing experiences, and communing with them is inspiring. When you do get to spend time with them you feel connected, expanded, locked in, and aware of the moment you’re sharing. You listen, you’re patient, and you’re present. You give of your heart, your time, and your gifts, and in turn, you receive the same. In a healthy relationship, each person feels worthy of the other, and each person matches the efforts of the other—not because they have to, but because they want to. Why? Because in that union is a feeling of wholeness and completeness, and in the union where two become one is found profound truths and experiences greater than the self.

The same is true of our relationship with the divine. The idea of going into your meditation with the excitement and energy of seeing someone you love—with the excitement of having a love affair—is the exact energy that makes you connect with it. It’s this level of excitement and enthusiasm that draws it closer to us…because it is love—and just like a relationship, the more you love, the bigger your love gets. It is love that bonds us together.

It seems people sometimes forget that the divine, whatever this unifying principle is that is giving us life, is an intelligence. It’s consciousness and awareness. It’s paying attention to us, it always matches our efforts, is completely present with us, and responds and interacts with us according to who we are being. That’s why we want to talk to it in a way that causes it to listen, and we want to listen in a way that allows it to talk to us. When we make the effort to connect with this intelligence, and give it as much attention as we would give to someone we love—if we can start off our day being willing and inspired to really be present with it (even though you can’t see it) it’s going to show up in our life in unexpected ways.

Like a love relationship, just because a lover is not in our physical proximity does not mean that the love no longer exists, for instance, a long-distance relationship can’t exist unless you believe in it. But it all starts with a willingness and openness to have a genuine connection. If you can interact with it, confide in it, ask it for help, express your limitations, and tell the truth about where and who you are in your life—and surrender any issues around those things—it’s going to show up just like the lover who loves you for both your strengths and weaknesses, and for both your limitations and unlimited qualities.

Key to any relationship is simply showing up every day. It’s OK to say, I have no idea how this is going to unfold, in fact—this leaves room for unknown surprises and gifts of serendipity.  Your job is to show up as the commitment to being the best you can every day because commitment is the bridge. Like any relationship, the moment you stop communicating, make time for someone else, stop sharing, miss a few dates, cease paying attention and being present, and stop listening, because listening is an important element—basically fostering love and connection—you’ve disconnected from the energy of that relationship. It’s going to fall away and you’re going to forget about it. But if you go into your meditations as you would a love affair—excited and inspired to meet and connect—it’s that energy that brings it to us.

This energy is not limited to the energy of a lover, however, because love is love. It’s the same as the love you feel when you haven’t seen your best friend in a while, your kids after they’ve been away, the love you feel for your animal or the love you feel for your parents. Because of that love, you’ll go great distances to spend time and connect with them. You’ll sacrifice, stay up late, get up early, stay on the phone longer, and go the extra mile for them because you love them.

That’s the type of attitude and energy that we want to step into and take to the altar of love because that which you are seeking is seeking you.