Shakespeare Reminds Us: When the World Feels Heavy, Let Love Lift You

By Alan Lowis

At some point in life, we all feel low.

We question our worth.

We compare ourselves to others. We feel unseen, unheard, or like we’ve fallen out of favor with the world—and even with ourselves.

In Sonnet 29, Shakespeare gives voice to that ache.

But he also gives us something more:

a way out.

A quiet miracle.

He shows us the healing power of love—how even the memory of someone we love, or who loves us, can raise us from despair and return us to joy.

This sonnet is not just poetry.

It’s a map.

A reminder of what matters.

And a truth we must remember, again and again:

Love is the light that lifts.

🎥 Watch the sonnet below, then explore the reflection that follows.

Sonnet 29 — William Shakespeare

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least;

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

🌑 The Opening: Despair and Disconnection

"When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state..."

Shakespeare opens from the depths of suffering—feeling alone, unseen, and rejected.It’s the voice of someone who feels like life has betrayed them.

They are “in disgrace” not just with the world, but with themselves.

This is the voice of shame.

Of self-pity.

Of the ego in a state of collapse.

🌀 The Spiral of Comparison and Ego-Driven Wanting

"Wishing me like to one more rich in hope… Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope..."

Now the self begins comparing:

— Others are more hopeful.

— Others are more talented.

— Others have more friends.

This is the mind of striving.

Of envy.

Of wanting more and feeling like you are less.

We’ve all been here—lost in comparison, in lack, in longing.

Like Gatsby, building a world for a dream we think will finally make us “enough.”

And then comes the turn.

🌅 The Shift: Remembering Love

"Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee..."

Haply — by chance, or unexpectedly —In the midst of despair and self-loathing… he remembers someone.

Just the thought of this beloved changes everything.

🕊️ The Ascent: Love as Liberation

"...and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate..."

Like a lark rising from the mud of the earth,the speaker is lifted.

His heart, once heavy, now sings.

Love does this.

Not performance.

Not status.

Not comparison.

But the simple remembering that you are loved—and that you love—returns you to your soul.

To peace.

To joy.

👑 The Revelation: Love Is Enough

"For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings."

He wouldn’t trade this love for a crown.

For riches.

For fame.

Because the wealth of love is greater than anything the world offers.

🧭 The Arc of the Sonnet — And of the Soul

1. Ego pain — I am not enough.

   
   

2. Comparison — Others are more.
   

3. Despair — I am losing myself.
   

4. Remembrance of love — I remember love.
   

5. Restoration — I rise. I sing.
   

6. Re-centering — With love, I need nothing more.

What We Can Learn From This Poem & How We Can Escape from Suffering

“When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,I all alone beweep my outcast state…”

There are moments in life when everything feels heavy—We feel unseen. Rejected. Outside the circle of belonging.

In these lines, Shakespeare powerfully captures the ache of not feeling enough.

He envies others’ talents. Their opportunities. Their hope.

He compares.

He self-loathes.

He questions his worth.

This is what happens when fear and ego take over—

When we forget the truth of who we are.

When we believe we must become something more just to deserve love.

The Ego’s Dance: Striving and Suffering

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to grow.

The desire to improve ourselves can be beautiful.

It can move us to learn, to build, to create, to rise.

It can even be part of how we express love—by becoming more of who we truly are.

But when that desire is rooted in fear—

When it’s driven by shame, comparison, or the belief that we must earn our worth—it begins to consume us.

We lose touch with the still, sacred truth inside:

You are already worthy of love.

Not someday. Not “if.” Not “when.”

Now.

The Turn: “Haply I think on thee…”

“Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee…”

This line is everything.

In the darkest moment—when he is nearly lost in self-hate—he remembers love.

Not a grand miracle.

Just the quiet, sudden thought of someone who truly sees him.

And it changes everything.

🕊️ Love as the Light That Lifts

“…and then my state,Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate…”

Suddenly, he’s not lowly or lost.

He’s a bird, rising with the morning, singing at the gates of heaven.

This is what love does.

It reawakens joy.

It lifts us from heaviness.

It reminds us of who we are.

Not because we became more—But because love helped us remember.

Worthy While Becoming

Here is the paradox:

You can grow. You should grow.

But never because you’re unworthy.

You are like a seed—already full of life and promise.

Not less-than. Just becoming.

Growth from love is evolution it's being, it’s becoming.

Growth from fear is striving and wanting which almost always leads to suffering.

You don’t grow to become worthy.

You grow because you already are worthy.

And when love is allowed to enter—

It lights the fire that helps you become who you were meant to be.

💖 The Return to Self

“For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”

The ego wanted to be a king to feel significant.

But the soul, remembering love, sees no need for crowns.

Because when we’re connected to love—whether from another or from within—we don’t need to become anything else.

We just need to be.

The Escape from the Trap: Remembering Love Now ❤️ You Don’t Have to Wait to Feel Love

Have you ever remembered a moment so vividlythat your body responded like it was happening all over again?

You didn’t just think about it.

You felt it.

The warmth of a hug from someone you miss.

The sound of their voice saying your name.

The way their eyes softened when they looked at you.

The way you knew—deep down—you were safe, you were loved.

And for a moment, the world faded.

And it was just love.

That’s not your imagination fooling you.

That’s your body remembering what’s real.

Love isn’t always something we have to wait for.

Sometimes, love lives in memory.

Sometimes, it arrives through presence.

And sometimes, it’s something we carry inside us—quiet but still burning.

You don’t have to wait for someone to say it.

You don’t have to wait for life to change.

You don’t even have to be in a relationship.

You just have to remember.

Or imagine.

Or breathe it back into being.

And when you do… it becomes real again.

✨ Try This...

Sit quietly for a moment.

Put your hand on your heart.

Take a slow breath in… and a long breath out.

And think of a time you felt truly loved.

Maybe it was a smile.

A late-night conversation.

The way they looked at you like you mattered.

The way their hand rested on your back as you cried.

The way someone stayed when they could’ve left.

Or the way they held your hand and said nothing at all.

The way they said “I’m here,” and meant it.

Let that moment rise in your heart.

Let your breath carry it deeper into your chest.

Can you feel it?

That warmth, that safety, that connection— It’s still in you.

It doesn’t need to be happening now to be healing now.

That’s the gift of love: It transcends time.

That’s love. Still alive. Still real. Still yours. 

Available to you any time, to lift you up and remind you that you are loved and always will be.

And If You Can’t Remember...

Then create a new memory now.

Close your eyes and picture someone who loves you

—A parent, a friend, a child, even a divine presence.

Or picture the person you’re becoming—Looking back at you with full compassion, whispering:

“You are enough. You are so deeply loved.”

Let that feeling wash over you.

You don’t have to explain it. You just have to feel it.

Because love you feel is love that’s real.

Let your body feel what your heart has always known.

You are loved.You are love.

Love Is Real When It’s Felt

Love isn’t a performance.

It’s not a prize.

It’s not something you earn.

It’s a beautiful, powerful, meaningful force you can tap into at any time.

Through breath. Through memory. Through imagination. Through presence.

And when you do… you awaken something wonderful.

The ego makes us believe we have to wait to feel love.

Wait until we’re better. Until someone says it. Until life turns around.

But the heart knows better.

Love can be remembered, imagined, and felt—right now.

The brain doesn’t care if the love you feel is from a memory, a dream, or a vision of the future.

It still lights up.

It still floods you with warmth.

It still heals.

💡 This Is the Way Out of the Spiral

You don’t need the world to change to feel love.

You need only to remember.

To breathe.

To open the door.

To let it in.

And in doing so, you awaken what Shakespeare found:

“For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”

You are not broken.

You are becoming.

And you are already loved.

And feeling it even for a moment can change everything!

💌 Share the Love

If this reflection moved you…

If you felt the truth of love rise in your chest—whether from memory, imagination, or this present moment—

Don’t keep it to yourself.

Share this page with someone who might need it.

Someone who’s been struggling to feel worthy.

Someone who’s forgotten they are loved.

Someone who needs to remember what truly matters.

Sometimes, the right words at the right moment can change a life.

📬 Send it with a note:

“This made me think of you. Just wanted to remind you…You are loved ❤️.”