Walls.

We erect walls around us.

To protect us from attack.

Our experiences in the world create fear.

And fear makes us raise ramparts of stone.

Carl Jung said that we hide our true selves from others.

Our true selves - our souls, which are in our hearts - are vulnerable and tender.

We defend them with impregnable battlements.

But when we do this we lock ourselves inside our own defenses and we cannot relate truly to others.

When we love we make ourselves vulnerable because love comes from our true selves - our souls, which are in our hearts.

We must realize that others also have been hurt.

And they may defend themselves if they feel threatened.

Most of this of course takes place on an unconscious level.

So we may love and hurt ourselves and others inadvertently.

But love comes from the heart.

And our true selves need love to live.

So we must let down the walls that imprison us and give our love freely.

To do this we must overcome the fear which built the walls in the first place.     

Photo Credit: © Axel Naud Flickr via Compfight cc