Increasing Love

A warm hello to all of you from the chilly Pacific Northwest! Fall is definitely here on the farm. I picked the last of the tomatoes a couple of days ago and the heat is on inside the house, especially at night and early in the morning. Sitting in the sunshine in the middle of the day is still pleasurable, particularly right around midday and I find myself acting like a cat or dog and looking for a sunny spot.

Getting Monday's Quote from my assistant caught me a little off guard this week. Even though I sent it to her originally to add to the MQ stockpile, I wasn't expecting this particular one and drew a blank at first. However, I've come to look upon her random selection in the same way that I consider a card drawn from my angel or goddess decks. It's meant to be and there's something for me to explore in the choosing. So, here goes ...

"If you're having trouble loving what feels unlovable, start with something easy. Indulge yourself in love for a cat or dog or a small child. After awhile, it will feel natural to love more and more."

Simply thinking about the "unlovable" makes me squirm. I put together a five-part Program several years ago called "Get Your Laugh Back". It's based on using the letters in LAUGH and one of the things I liked best was that we started by focusing on L - Love. This is where it all begins and we can't go forward until we find love for ourselves and sometimes that feels really difficult. There are all kinds of reasons why we might feel like we are unworthy or don't "deserve" love. Whatever they are, they were probably planted in our psyche by people who had their own demons or who couldn't grasp loving themselves. That was then and this is now and we have a new chance at correcting that inaccuracy.

Jumping right into loving yourself -- not necessarily an easy thing so let's start with something cute. I mentioned a kitten or dog in the original quote. If that's not your thing, what about Baby Yoda?!? Doesn't he make you want to cuddle and hang out with him? Think about anything that makes you go, "Awwwww" and feel all soft inside. Softness is one of the keys. When we are hard and unyielding it's impossible to feel kindly toward ourselves or anything or anyone. What else can you think about that gives you a warm sensation? My old, familiar saying (again!), "Where our attention goes, our energy flows" is another part of the puzzle. Keep imagining things, critters, situations, movies, poems, works of art ... whatever stirs up an image or feeling that can only be described as tender, sweet, or adorable ... and you're on your way to being in a more loving frame of mind. On the other hand, if you let yourself get caught up in whatever is annoying, irritating, or even infuriating, you'll be in such a low level of vibration, it will be impossible to transition to a loving vibe. Have you ever had a great day where many wonderful things happen and you hear yourself say something like, "Even _____ (fill in the blank) can't bother me today. I feel too good!" ? This is what I'm talking about. We are happier when we feel content (I know, that's a statement for Captain Obvious). Even in the midst of troubling times, we can see others and less than desirable circumstances through rose-colored glasses if we feel better about ourselves. It doesn't mean we allow for or stand by while unacceptable behavior is going on. It means we bring compassion and an attempt at understanding so that we might turn the unlovable around and bring more of the lovable to the table. It just might be contagious and grow and spread. Wouldn't that be something to look forward to, especially in our current times?! Feeling lovable and seeing the lovable in the world is what I wish for you.