Your relationships can be the greatest source of growth and healing, and they can be platforms for pain. BUT. The more you consciously bring into the relationship what you’d like to see more of, the more you receive the kind of love you've been hoping for. And the more you receive the kind of love you've been giving.

“Be love, so much love, that when others are with you, they are love.” — Abraham Hicks

It's hard to see the light in others, and it’s definitely challenging to treat them like that’s all we see. No matter, it's a brilliant way to make the world more full of the light.

If you’d like to see more mindfulness, patience, forgiveness, tolerance, and generosity in the world, guess where you need to start? Always with yourself.

Today, write it on your heart that you receive as you give; then, go give love however you can.

It’s empowering when you start to practice the energy you want to live in and then start to feel its effects seep into every nook and cranny of your life.

Be Love, Because That’s Who You Are.

If you want to be a loving person who lives in a loving world, don’t be waiting on the world. Be love, first. That’s the best way to do it—maybe not the easiest, but the most impactful decision you could make is to role model what you’d like to experience more of in the world.

Everyone else in the world doesn’t have to be perfect before you decide to love them. Love them first, and your light ends up bringing theirs to the surface. Even if it doesn’t, you become brighter.

A few examples of how you can be love:

• Instead of telling someone how they should be, ask them how you can help. Replace complaints with intrigue. Respond to frustration with curiosity. Solutions come easier that way and relationships grow stronger that way.
• Forgiving someone who isn’t sorry (that’s strong) because you’re so committed to the energy you bring into the world that you won’t consciously hand over your power to anyone or anything else.
• Forgiving a situation that you can’t go back in time and change (also strong).
• Practicing opposing or challenging perspectives, even and especially when you don’t plan on adopting them. Again, let curiosity and openness win.
• Rather than focusing on what’s missing, focus on appreciating what’s there, what’s right, what’s helpful.

The best way to find the light is to carry your own lantern.

Be Loving Towards Yourself, Because Love Has No End.

Love is a circle.

Have parts of yourself that are desperately needing some more love? Those are the parts to love the most.

Showing up for what’s showing up for us is probably the most basic ingredient in healing. That’s how we mend broken hearts and begin to move forward as a whole being, instead of leaving behind the bits and pieces of us we neglected to understand.

A few (of the infinite) examples of how you can let your love go full circle to include yourself:

• Focusing on the emotional experience of what you want to happen/be rather than focusing on what you think you’re lacking.
• Being committed to doing from a place of being. Measuring your success by your energy, by how loving, grateful, and present you feel.
• Using positive “I am” statements. (I have some affirmations for that.)
• Acknowledging how far you’ve come, right in the middle of the journey you’re on, and giving yourself credit where it’s due.
• Being proactive in your relationships, reaching out with appreciation, praise, and kindness. The truth is that we can work on ourselves through others, and we can work on others through ourselves.

You know what takes courage? Authenticity; being yourself. Creativity; expressing yourself. Vulnerability; opening yourself. Resilience; rising again. Compassion; loving deeper. Hope; staying.

Living in love takes courage.

. . .

Tell me:

Which of these thoughts did you need to read today?

Tell me in the comments. I read every single one, and I'd love to know!

With love, 

Jen

P.S. Wake up with joy, hope, and purpose beating in your heart, every single morning. Get my book Morning Affirmations for a season full of love. Before anything or anyone else has a say.