Sometimes it is wonderful to find yourself a bit uncomfortable, trying new things, meeting new people. And sometimes it can all be too much. If you are practicing Love First, you will learn to take your feeling of security with you wherever you go. By developing a relationship with yourself, you know you will always have one friend in the room.
“Today I will be my best friend, and therefore never lonely.”
I am off to Australia tonight! The great fun fact of the land down under is that it was considered one big jail for England back in the day. But this is why I love Aussies, they know they are descendants of mostly criminals and they appreciate the irony. I have yet to meet an Australian that was boring, usually they are the most interesting person at the party. So G’day Mate, looking forward to what you have in store!
“Today I will be adventurous and see what happens!”
I bought a new mountain bike yesterday! First one in 22 years, feels like Christmas. As I was telling the guy in the shop, I took my old bike all over the US riding as much as I could until the bike was stolen. So I am looking forward to getting back out there and exploring the world on two wheels! We tell the bike where to go and then get ready for the adventure, not needing to know every little bump in the road in advance. Just like life, we can either enjoy the ride or dread the journey.
“Today I choose to hop on the bicycle of life and enjoy the ride.”
Who are you spending time with? People who inspire you? Or people who feel familiar? Until we practice loving ourselves, we will reach for what we know, even if what we know is painful. To break the chains of co-dependency, addiction, abuse, or self-harm, we must take a look at the people, places, and things in our lives, starting with our own negative thinking.
“Today I will look around at my life and just take notice of whether or not my choices are positive or negative.”
Recovery from a difficult childhood or relationship usually requires forgiveness to ourselves and with time, those who have hurt us. But if the wound has not been dealt with and our current behavior is influenced by our past, finding our way back to a place of love and self-acceptance can be a long journey. Love First recognizes that who we REALLY are is pure LOVE, energy that is in physical form, there are no “broken” spirits. To begin the journey to reclaim yourself, you must be willing to take that first small step back home to you, the real you, not the you that had to create coping skills to survive.
“Today I will find a photo of myself from shortly after I arrived on the planet, and I will place it by my bed to remind me of who I really am, pure Love.”
When we practice Love First we recognize that we are all connected. From this place, we learn that we have nothing to fear from each other and can live from an open-hearted stance rather than a defensive one. The fun is in meeting someone knew who feels like a long-lost friend!
“Today I will reach out to someone new and see what happens!”
Oh, I met some amazing people this last week! Went to a remote place to take a break and just enjoyed the change of scenery, committing to being the most joyful person in the room. It was infectious and others were swept up in the fun! No complaining about politics, or how others behave, just appreciating how fantastic life can be. What a difference from last weekend and a great reminder that every day is a new chance to practice Love First.
“Today and every day is a new opportunity to be the best me I can be!”
Nothing happens TO us. It happens THROUGH us. That’s because we are always a part of the equation. If you have had, like I did last weekend, a very intense and stressful situation and you want to place blame for it, don’t forget to include yourself. Our reaction to other people’s actions are ALWAYS a choice. However. There can be times when the situation is so overwhelming or we are not feeling out best, that reactions occur. This is an opportunity to step back, see where we have gone out of balance and take the steps to put ourselves back on track. Toward that end, I am taking a day off tomorrow and intend to practice what I preach.
“Today is a chance to set things right, starting with myself.”
Whenever I see a new baby I always say the same thing, “Welcome to the planet, don’t watch the news.” I also remind them that they KNOW everything they need to know but will spend their lifetime trying to remember! Well guess what? I need to take my own advice. I have been watching political news every day and it has made my underlying energy slower and less
joyful. I believe this is why I had an injury recently as well as a very negative experience at a convention, I was feeling attacked. The lesson is in recognizing that it was my OWN actions that created this feeling, no one made me turn on the news! I will now take my own advice and turn my attention to positive information, looking reasons to feel good.
“Today I will focus on things to appreciate and let my positive energy uplift those I meet.”
It is hard for me to feel like I am missing information. The beautiful thing about time is that you usually have a chance to find that information if you can be patient and open. I have learned so much in the last couple of days and with this new insight I will see how I can be helplful, but also where I was wrong and make it right.
“Today I will stay open to discovering the truth so I can take inspired action.”