Keeping your heart open

It may seem too much to keep your heart open to the world in its current state- the wars, constant exchange of information and misinformation, comparison, poverty, fear of the future. Many of us armor our hearts out of fear, which seems like the most rational thing to do in these circumstances. I want to ask you: is it possible to love truly in a world so scarred with pain? Can we, being so conditioned into individualistic thinking by our culture, bring about a radical change in ourselves that directly impacts those around us? To love another without a motive or cause, without expecting a single thing in return. To end the accumulation of the past, with all of its fear and desire. To live a fresh, new, and expansive life without shame and guilt keeping us trapped. Please go into this yourself- is this transformation a process, or can it happen instantly?

-S.L