LOVE

As I'm sitting here listening to our waterfall in the backyard, rushing to get all my morning routines done before Steve's bath, I take a break to look at the coffee mug I'm drinking my cinnamon cardamon bullet proof coffee out of.  'I don't know what I will blog about this morning', I'm thinking and keep looking at the mug.  Love is written on the side of the mug. Love.

Maybe I should write about LOVE.  Now I could probably write 100 blogs about love, so how do I write something meaningful in 20 minutes about love, when the word means so much.

Then I look down at my shirt, and read the words, "Just be yourself."  It strikes me as these are the words I'm seeing while trying to think of the words to write, and a thought came to me.  

This is how my brain works. :)

Have you ever witnessed someone say or do something very horrible to someone they love?  Haven't you yourself done this?  

I know I have.  I've talked before about snapping on Steve or whoever is near me in times of stress. Why do we do it, if we love them?  

It's because when we say or do these not so great things, we aren't operating out of a place of love.  I know when I'm focused on "doing it for the love" (shout out to Michael Franti and Sara Franti's www.doitforthelove.org) I act lovingly.  

When the anxiety, frustrations, disappointments, hurt feelings, etc are where I'm operating from; it's not easy to come from a place of love.  What if we all stopped for 1 minute before responding, and thought simply about the word love.  

Is my response from a place of love?  Is my response true to my authentic self?  Do I want to be the person who snaps and screams because you caught me at the wrong time? 

I often find myself using the mantra, "I AM LOVE."

Because when I snap, or find myself spitting out words that I immediately wish I could swallow back whole, it's because I am not operating out of love.  When I stop and remind myself that I AM love.  I can step back and find a loving way to reply.  

Just  because you are replying out of love doesn't mean you loose your voice, or that you aren't being true to yourself.  Because yes you are feeling that anger and frustration with that person; that's real life.  Feel them, but don't let them guide your actions or responses.  

You can still tell someone that they've made you angry out of love.  You can still explain to someone how fearful you are with love.  You don't have to have the angry response to stand your ground.  In fact your message will be heard more clearly if you pause and allow love to take over.  

It's a practice I participate in daily.  I want to always come from love, and do it for the love, and spread the love, and show only love.  It's not always easy, but learning to be true to my deepest desires of myself; which is to BE LOVE, it's worth it.  I find myself growing stronger each time I pause and repeat the mantra, and act from love.  I find myself able to let things go easier.  Often times not even feeling angry anymore. I find myself loving myself more.

That's a big one.  When I come from love, I love myself more.  Self love is important love too, but that's a whole other blog.

There a short blog on love, with 5 minutes to spare before our manic Monday starts.

Choose love this week, and watch your heart grow, y'all.

I LOVE YOU! xo