Honor
When we honor ourselves we show others how to honor us, too. How have you honored yourself today?
“Today I will behave honorably to myself and others.”
Kindness
Wouldn’t it Be Nice?
Wouldn’t it be nice if…
Corporations thought about their employees, customers, and the environment without needing the government to regulate them to do it?
People treated each other with respect without needing laws to enforce it?
Everyone wanted to vote even when the circumstances weren’t so insane?
What can you do today just because it’s the nice thing to do? Let me know!
“Today I will do the nice thing because it is the right thing to do.”
Do It Anyway
There is an old saying about good deeds, “Never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Good deeds are not about public acknowledgement; the deed is its own reward. By giving without thought of your ego the gift of self-love is your acknowledgment.
“Today I will do one good deed in secret, knowing that I always benefit, too.”
Chain of Pain
Empathy is the ability to comprehend someone else’s situation and feel their feelings without believing it is happening to you as well. Sympathy is to have had a similar experience and show acknowledgement of that understanding to another person. Compassion is the ability to demonstrate caring even if you do not really comprehend that situation. Co-dependency is when you believe that what is happening to another person is also happening to you, your actions about your life are determined by their issues. To Love First is to strive to understand how to be compassionate for another person’s situation while standing firmly in your own space. We have nothing to give those who are in trouble if we join their “chain of pain”. Be the best you can be and be happy, from that place of strength those who wish to have what you have will be uplifted and perhaps be willing to ask, “How do you do it?” Then, and only then can an answer truly have impact. It is then that the love for yourself can become the healing love for others.
“Today I will know that by living the best life I can I have more to give those who ask for help.”
You MATTER!
It can be hard to know how much we mean to the people in our lives unless they tell us. I would love to encourage you to take a moment to send an email, a text, post, tweet, or wow! make
a phone call!!!! And let someone who is important to you (not a celebrity) know how much they mean to you. Let’s start a wave of love and gratitude for those unsung heroes of our lives who always show up and provide us with a reminder that we matter to them.
“Today I will take a moment to reach out to someone who has shown me kindness and let them know how much they mean to me.”
It’s Not Polite to POINT!
Try this. Point your finger at something. Now look at your hand while you are pointing. See those three fingers curled up and pointing back at YOU? The truth is that when we point at others and blame them, shame them, or accuse them of wrongdoing, there are three fingers pointing back at us. We have co-created our lives so there are no victims here. Next time you want to point at someone doing it “wrong” make sure you remember to check in on your own behavior. Compassion and forgiveness for them and you is a good thing.
“Today I will take care not to point fingers at others, but offer my hand in compassion instead.”
Beauty is as Beauty Does
What is beauty? I think it is in the eye of the beholder, but even more so, beauty is how we participate in the world. Let’s BE beautiful today!
“Today I will do something beautiful for someone else.”
Progress, Not Perfection
Love First asks you to demonstrate care and nurturing to yourself. I, however, happen to be hardest on ME, sometimes demanding perfection instead of appreciating the progress. This is why I use the tools of Love First every day. It is a lifelong practice of changing the deep-rooted stories of our past. Be gentle and kind to yourself and make sure to celebrate the progress along the way.
“Today I will not seek perfection, I will applaud my progress.”
The Best Laid Plans
Even with the best intentions we can find we have disappointed others or ourselves. When we practice Love First, we take action from a place of love and appreciation and do what we can to be our best selves every day. But the grace of loving yourself, first, is that when you make a mistake or cause someone else pain, you will notice that you are not following your intention and immediately feel the disconnection. This is when you are gentle with you and forgive yourself. And as soon as you can, you own your behavior and make it right with the other person. They won’t always forgive you, but you will know you made the effort.
“Today I will intend to be kind, loving, and thoughtful, but if I find that I have behaved badly, I will make amends to myself and those I harmed.”
Pity
Pity is not a word used in Love First. To pity someone is to believe that what you are seeing as their suffering or challenge is the ultimate picture of who they are. The spirit or non-physical part of any human being is always present, regardless of the physical situation. To uplift and inspire, or encourage and assist another person we must KNOW their well-being exists. As we stand in our own positive vibration, we call forth their power to find their balance and solutions.
“Today I will practice seeing my fellow human beings as perfect spirit, no matter what the physical evidence, and then take action to offer what I can.”