LOVING

Some find it hard to say, “I love you”. Others say it with ease. Some mean it, some believe you want to hear it… and say it. Maybe they mean it, maybe not. Truth is we all want to know we are loved as demonstrated by our words matched by our actions. I always believe one’s actions convey love and caring best. After all, it’s our actions that speak loudest and truest. That said, how often do you say, “I love you” to yourself? How often do you see, feel and act in ways that visibly let you know that you love yourself?

Stand in front of the mirror and say it.

I often tell my clients that they must love themselves first and foremost. They must be in love with themselves. They must be so in love with themselves that it overflows onto others. They have so much inside of them that they have love to give, to share. I believe this so much that I really don’t believe anything else is possible if we want to live a full, happy, and extraordinary life. I must be overflowing with love that my cup “runneth” over to be my best me.

Some have said to me, “yes, but ‘blah, blah blah’”. I say “blah, blah blah” because whatever is said after “but” does not serve us. It’s as if we have negated all of the goodness of what love is all about.

Fact: We cannot give what we do not have, understand, or value.

We cannot be empathic if we judge others. We cannot feel deeply when we are afraid to be vulnerable. We cannot love another deeply, if we do not love ourselves deeply.

It is up to us. We have a choice to not judge. We have a choice to listen, to truly hear and feel the joy and the pain of another. We get to choose, to decide to be good to ourselves, to love ourselves… first. Try it. You will never enjoy, feel, and live with so much joy as when you allow yourself to love yourself. It’s as if a weight dissipates. You feel lighter. You see the world differently and most of all, you see yourself differently. And more, others see you differently. Your confidence, courage, and commitment to life, your life shines through. And those who see you for you and love you, care for you, are elevated. I’d venture to say, those who had not seen you, are elevated simply by being in your presence.

Let’s take it one step further. When we love ourselves, we seek to do things that bring us joy. Thus, others tend to want to be in our presence. When we do what we love, some may call it living our passion, we are unstoppable. It’s freedom. Time passes with ease, effort is given with ease, fear vanishes because I CAN DO IT, I WANT TO DO IT. There is no room for doubt – only learning and growing.

Loving you, loving what you do, loving others… these are foundations for all that can be! Ready? Let’s go!