Love is what life is all about – both the giving and receiving of it. I believe this to be true, yet I’m more than a bit embarrassed to say that sometimes I put this concept aside to handle my daily “to do” list. 
Let’s face it … work projects come with deadlines … I get busy. There are things to do, errands to run, places to go, goals to accomplish, and so on. The daily grind of life goes on and I grind away at it.
Sure, when I’m with my family and friends I extend my love. But do I always give my full attention and heart to the people whom I love so much? Maybe not … at least not always.
Then there are the other folks I encounter each day, including coworkers, neighbors, bank tellers, waiters, and the folks at the DMV. Do I always take the time to offer a loving smile and a kind word? I wish I could say the answer is always “yes,” but frankly I fall short there, too.
Finally, there’s self-love, a concept I’ve always found a bit befuddling. I know for me self-love is not bubble baths and bonbons, but what does it even look like? I’ve spent a lifetime reaching for the wrong things; I know it’s time to make better choices here, too.
So here’s my major realization:
Love (in the many ways it can be expressed and experienced) IS the most important concept to grasp in life. Yet, love isn’t always foremost in my mind as I go about each day.
So how does one go about experiencing love on a deeper level every day? For me, a transformation is occurring thanks in part to a perspective shift I recently made thanks to my HeySoul “Love Box.”*
Have you heard of HeySoul yet? It’s a wonderful new company that delivers a personal growth experience to your door each month. They’re called “HeySoul Boxes.”
Here’s what the experience with my “Love Box” taught me: There are simple yet powerful things I can do to experience more love more often and it begins with how I look at my world and live my life on a daily basis.
The First Focus on Love Is Self-Love
“Self-love is crucial to live your greatest life. Self-love is the root from which all other love grows.” ~HeySoul
Wow. “Self-love is the root from which all other love grows.” How many times have I neglected to care for myself and thought I was actually benefiting others by doing this? It’s a classic mistake. No one can pour from an empty vessel. We all need to take time to satisfy our soul’s longing for our own love.
How self-love manifests in your life might be different than how it manifests in mine. I know that spending time in nature and taking time to meditate are both critical conduits of self-love for me. I also know that it’s important to stay aligned with my core values … to listen to my heart more and my head less … and to not take life so dang seriously all the time.
Life is a journey and it’s a journey that is meant to be enjoyed not just scheduled. Ferris Bueller summed it up: “Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Loving yourself requires you to stop and look around so you don’t miss it!
Manifesting More Love in Your Life: Create a “Love Journal”
We tend to create in our lives what we focus on. If your focus is not on love, it will be difficult to manifest more love in your life. That’s why you need to remind yourself of your true desires on a daily basis. HeySoul reminded me of the importance of this by providing me with a lovely blank journal for me to write in. I was given these instructions:
“Write what you LOVE and what you LIVE for. What do you WANT in this beautiful life? Write down one thing each day that speaks to your heart and rallies your soul.” – HeySoul
I’ve found that the process of journaling on the subject of love each day opens my heart to both giving and receiving more love in my life.
By the way, I always thought I didn’t really have time to journal, but who doesn’t have the time to write down ONE THING that speaks to their heart and soul? C’mon – we all can do that! It’s amazing how your life can transform just by offering consistent attention to what you want.
Give Love to Receive Love
We’ve had more than a few serious conversations in the Believe and Create community about the act of giving love to receive love A lot of people say “that doesn’t work!” Well, if you’re expecting that the love you give to one person will be returned by that same person, then I’m afraid, you’re right. Life doesn’t always work that way.
Yet, the more love you give in life … given freely with no strings attached (cause if there are strings attached, that ain’t love!) … the more love enters your life. We all just need to remember that love doesn’t always come in the same shape and size and manner. Love can be expressed as a kind word, a gentle touch, a silent blessing, a heartfelt thank you. Love can be the gift of our attention and time and our appreciation. Sometimes it’s romantic love and sometimes its platonic love. It’s the love of family and friends and strangers and ourselves. And it can be dished out in subtle or grand ways.
HeySoul simply reminds us to “ Give love in a BIG or SMALL way every day.” For it is in the consistency of loving in all the many ways it can be expressed that we generate more love in our lives.
The World Desperately Needs Your Love
“Ignite your soul and spread your love. You are the spark the world has been waiting for.” ~ HeySoul
A lot of people write to me asking for advice about how to figure out what their life purpose is. There is one purpose that we’ve all been brought here to fulfill: spread our love freely and generously. Not only are our lives stronger when our foundation is that of love, the world is a better place when we’re coming from a place of love. Never doubt that your spark of love can add light where it’s most needed. Your gift of love can change the world!
When it Comes to Love in Your Life, What Do You Really Want?
Everyone gets to decide what they want their lives to be about. I know that I don’t want love to be a second thought in my life … I don’t want to relegate it to the thing I think about after the dinner dishes are done and the work week is over. I want love to be the major theme of my life each and every day. I want to grow to be the most loving person I can be. I want my life to be a message of love.
I also want to be on the receiving end of love as much as possible too, because we all need love to grow and thrive and live our very best lives. It’s not selfish to want love; love is to our soul what oxygen is to our lungs.
I realize that it’s up to me to get the love energy flowing in my life and the more I focus on giving love, the more love I will receive. I’m so grateful that HeySoul offered its message of love to me and reminded me of my role in keeping my focus on love. It’s my hope that their message resonated with you as well so that you can begin experiencing more love in your life each and every day.
-Wishing you peace, happiness and much love in your life,
J. Marie Novak, Founder of BelieveAndCreate.com
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*About HeySoul and the HeySoul Box: HeySoul understands that life can pull us in so many directions, tossing us to and fro and away from our center. We sometimes feel empty … unfulfilled … like our inner compass is broken. That’s why they created a monthly doorstep surprise – the HeySoul Box –dedicated to “me time” and self-discovery to bring you back to your core, back to your purpose, back to happiness. The HeySoul experience is a box, delivered monthly, full of hand-picked, inspirational products teamed with experiences that challenge us all to take action and connect with a specific theme in our lives. The products are creative, meaningful and high-quality but the experience is where the magic is. You are walked through a curated journey of the soul to dive deep into the theme at hand. Every month the theme changes; love, creativity, adventure, passion, wellness, and so on. Learn more at www.HeySoul.com.