Emptiness, Filling Up, and Principles

I was so empty last night that I couldn't follow through with my principles. Waking up this morning, I had a whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind, but I wasn't nearly as empty as I was last night. I was starting to become functional again, but I wasn't stable. I didn't have direction.

Then I looked over at the table beside me and saw The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I've been studying and working through this book for the past couple of months. I opened the book to where my bookmark was.

Talk about having a message in front of you at the exact time that you need it!! It was pages 122-128, "A Principle Center." I know that I want to live from the principles of love, service, and integrity through commitment.

When I read the comparison of thoughts and actions about a situation that result from different centers (pages 126-127), I was struck yet again by the power of a principle-centered life.

This realization helped me to resolve a problem that had been swirling around in my mind when I woke up - sexuality. My sexuality had become so tied to John, that I was afraid I would have difficulty releasing again. Because my focus/center was him, it would feel like a betrayal for me to release without him.

But then I realized that if I release through a principle center, then I'm releasing with love. He may still be in that picture of love that resides in my mind, but he isn't the center of the picture. Love is the center.