Love. We all want it. But many of us don’t realize we already possess it. While at this moment we may not be in the throes of romantic adoration, it doesn’t mean that love isn’t present and contributing to our well-being. This exceptional gift takes many forms, whether it’s:
- A friend’s willingness to truly listen to you
- The jubilant eagerness of a pet welcoming you home
- The warm embrace of a family member
Love isn’t elusive. Love is all around us, but to increase its presence in our lives, we need to recognize it and fill ourselves with it.
It’s easy to become bitter about a perceived lack in this area of our lives. We may even feel that God has let us down. The problem is that this negative outlook will only worsen our situation. We attract what we emit. If we project sadness, we’re most likely to receive more of the same.
Dwelling on what we don’t have, focuses our brain’s connections on what’s lacking
What we mentally focus on builds neural substrates that strengthen those thoughts, whether it’s what we lack or what we possess, according to Psychologist Rick Hanson.
Dr. Hanson offers three tips to refocus our minds:
- recognize
- savor and
- internalize.
I believe this same principle can apply to reinforcing and increasing the love in our lives. For example, let’s say a friend drops over to help you with a project. Try this:
- First, recognize that this is an act of love toward you.
- Pay attention to how this realization makes you feel and enjoy the sensation.
- Then, internalize this knowledge and emotion so that you can tap into it whenever you need a boost.
Consider the people we like to spend time with: do they make us depressed or happy? Everyone wants to be around people who make us feel good. So by seeking love while we are in a lower frame of mind (i.e. sadness), we defeat our attempts at kindling it.
Allow the Supreme Being to help us spread divine love
I know it sounds woo-woo, but I’m continually amazed at the miracles God works when I ask the Great I Am to use me as an implement to disseminate divine love. I’ve had angry people visibly soften around me, conflicts melt away and, through concentrating that sacred emotion on my dear ones, helped them ride out hairy negative situations with neutral or even positive outcomes.
So how can you tap into this heavenly surplus?
- Find a quiet place and sit in a chair.
- Place your feet squarely on the floor and don’t cross your legs.
- Ask the Most Divine to come to you and to saturate your being with heavenly love.
- Concentrate on how it would feel to have this holy adoration course through your blood and pulsate within your body.
- Request the ability to send this love to all you interact with this day and to have God continually replenish you, so you have an endless supply to radiate.
Let’s be armored in light, setting our perspective to share the love God gives us. As we project this positivity, it will return to us.
May we realize the love present in our lives today and every day.