I have told you that, no matter how many times you have refused to enter the sanctuary, you have only to knock and the door will be opened to you. I have said to you, ask and it shall be given you, but you refuse to believe in me. You think that someone is counting your sins, your moments of indecision or recalcitrance, but it is not true. You are the only one counting. I say to you brother, stop counting, stop making excuses, stop pretending that the door is locked. I am here at the threshold. Reach out and take my hand and we will open the door and walk through together. I am the door to love without conditions. When you walk through, you too will be the door.

Pain is not a punishment.
It is a wake-up call for our soul.
It is a doorway to transformation.

Human suffering is universal. It started in the
days of Adam and Eve and continues today, in your
life and mine. All of us feel fear, shame, and various
forms of physical or psychological pain. Some of this
is unavoidable . . . we just have to weather the storm.
But some of our suffering is self-created. It arises from
past wounds, false beliefs and patterns of self-betrayal
that we can understand and heal. As we heal, we
become more gentle and loving. We stop projecting
our pain and attacking others. We begin to feel
compassion for the suffering of all beings. As we heal
ourselves, the world around us begins to heal.
Our shame is released. Our guilt is forgiven.
Innocence is reborn, in your heart and mine.

We may not know how to love without conditions when we come into this world,
but we can use our time here to learn to open our hearts to love's presence.
We can engage in a simple spiritual practice that helps us wake up,
shine our light, and become an inspiration for others.

There are many doors to unconditional love. Entering any one of these doors makesit easier for us to enter the
others. Cultivating one spiritual virtue helps us to cultivate all the others. The 31 teachings in this Book correspond to the 31 days of the month, so there is a teaching and a practice for every day.

Think of your first month of practice as a 31Day spiritual retreat. Of course, you don't have to travel to a monastery or retreat center. You don't need to leave your home or your job. You just need to create time and space within your life to focus on the Teaching and Practice for that day.

As you work with these teachings each day, life will bring you opportunities to practice them. Each day you will be invited to cross the threshold. When the door opens, however unexpectedly, walk through it. In this way, you create a simple dailypractice that can transform your consciousness and your life.

Healing the Wounded Child The wounded child cannot be kept separate from you. If s/he is in fear, you need to love the one in fear. You must be willing to feel her pain. This is a sacred journey through fear to love. You must learn to approach the child, not as a judgmental parent, but as a loving one. For only love releases the pain. Only love gently brings the darkness into the light. The process of recovery does not end until there is no one left to blame or shame, including yourself. It does not end until you can see the light behind your shadow. It is time now to take the little child into your arms and rock her and speak to her softly the words of love s/he needs to hear. Do not be afraid of her anger or her pain but remember that all s/he wants is love. and that is the only gift you can offer her.