It’s time to talk LOVE. We love love. We love to fall in love. We love our families, our children, our pets, our partners. I am hoping that before you got to the end of that sentence you also said and I LOVE MYSELF.
I want to talk about how to FEEL more love this year. I am not sure we can get enough love in our lives. The key is to give it as much as receive it. Not an imbalance of one ofr the other. More about this later.
Here are 5 ways you can FEEL more love this year and are GREAT ways to practice loving more in your life.
1. Redefine What Counts
I remember a conversation with my mom. She was crying and so sad that I didn’t come and see her more. I started crying because she was crying. I tried to come and see her once to twice a week. HOWEVER I called her at least 3 – 4 times a day. As we were crying I said well I guess the calls just don’t count.
That is when it all hit me like a BIG 2×4 over my head…
They weren’t counting to HER. They were HUGE consistent acts of love from me to her. Calling her every morning and night and usually on my lunch time or when I went to pick up the kids from school as well.
I was practicing love she just wasn’t receiving it as counting at least not as much as being in person would have counted.
So we talked right then and there. We agreed she would start allowing the calls to fill her up with love and I would ensure I said I love you on the calls and that we both were present during the calls as well as when I could stop by. GAME CHANGER!
I didn’t blame her, shame her, or judge her. I just asked that she start to allow the love I was giving to count towards her FEELING the love.
Where in your life are you not allowing love to come in or count? Where are you hindering this because it might not look that way you want it to look?
2. Give It Away
One sure fire way to FEEL more love is to give it away. Make a list of what actions you can take to GIVE more love away either each day or each week or maybe you start with a list for each month.
I make a list of 10 things I can do each month that gives love with NO strings, no expectations and is simply for the act of GIVING LOVE.
Some of the things that I have had on the list are:
- Take sandwiches to the homeless kids that live in tents down the way
- Buy the coffee or meal for the person behind me in line
- Surprise my boys with a visit at school
- Take out one of my boys for a surprise one on one event, adventure or meal
- Send a friend flowers, candy, or a note
- Call a friend and not just text them and connect
- Ask to spend time with my friends for no reason
- Leave anonymous cookies, firewood, note on neighbors doorstep that I know are going through a rough time.
- Go to the hospital and get approved to rock babies ( SO MUCH LOVE)
Take a moment to make your own list, and start to just give love away this week!
3. Date Yourself
YES YES, I am saying it. Fall in love with YOU if you are not already. If you are in love with yourself already then GO FOR IT.
Make sure you go to that ONE restaurant you have been dying to try. Go the chick flick you just are yearning to see. Go to the area of town you simply just fill up with joy when you walk through it. Maybe its a weekend alone.
Whatever it is, a cup of coffee with the phone turned off, an evening stroll along the river, SPEND TIME WITH YOURSELF. And I mean long enough you feel IN connection to the inner parts of YOU. Your thoughts, your dreams and goals, your heart and mind.
It’s so important to fill up our own love tank before we fill up or share filling up anyone else. You will have MORE to give and more love capacity when you take the time to be in love with yourself.
4. Know What Makes Your Heart Full
This goes along with several of the above. The main thing is if YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT brings you joy and makes your heart full how are you going to get it and how will you know when you receive it? You might MISS the whole moment or experience.
Make a list that you can see that lets you know what truly makes your heart full.
Here are a few from my list:
- I love you’s from across the house throughout the day from and to the boys
- Snuggles with any of my boys or all of them (including the pups)
- Watching my boys conquer a fear, build something they are proud of, do something for the first time. I savor every single moment, kiss, hugs, drawing, and Hey mom or Hey Oma look at this…
- A song on the radio that makes me want to roll down the window, feel the wind in my hair and sing out loud for hours (OK maybe minutes) makes my heart so so full of joy.
- Watching an elderly couple hold hands
Anything that makes me cry with joy fills my bucket FULL FULL FULL!
Make your LIST, OWN IT and RECEIVE THE LOVE. Don’t miss another moment.
5. Slow Down
This is last but NOT least, because it may be the most important one.
SLOW DOWN long enough to FEEL IT ALL. If it all passes us by then we could think we are not lovable, receiving love etc.. and it likely just isn’t true at all.
SLOW DOWN and let it all in and savor each and every moment you have. Let it all count.
Here is to you FEELING more love this year!
Please Share Your Thoughts