jenx67, that feels to me like a spirit-guided observation. It is, after all, the spirit that brings us peace that passes understanding. It's the spirit that can break through the scary stuff, get inside us, then emanate from within.

Trina, this is definitely one of the things that gets in the way of love: "...constantly having to protect ourselves from bitterness, judgment etc." Very true. 

Dave, gosh you are all so wise! Yes, we don't want to change our way of thinking about something. Not only is it too much work, but it has a domino effect, which often means we have to then adjust others ways of thinking. It's like trying to do some minor house repair, like fix a couple of tiles in the shower, and before you know it, you have to tear them all out, repair the plumbing, put up new cement board and re-tile the whole thing! Makes us want to ignore the two loose tiles, doesn't it?