My New Year’s resolution is one simple, all-encompassing statement:  to increase my capacity to be an instrument of love.  I feel that, in the past two years, I have been incrementally expanding my capacity to do this as a natural byproduct to my spiritual awakening.  Being and extending love has become the central focus in my life.  Of course, I’m not perfect at it, but I have set it as my goal.  Having love as a goal means that I have a measure with which to view my everyday experiences.  I can look at my experiences and ask:  Did I respond with love to the given situation or did I react with an emotion outside of love?  If responded without love, I can work to course correct, such that love is allowed to flow.

I was feeling at peace with the degree to which I had chosen to dedicate myself to love, until a few weeks ago when I was prompted to question my behavior further.  Activities that I had previously felt at peace with engaging in became magnified in my awareness. An inner conflict began to take place as …

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