What is love to you? Many people regard love as a feeling, a warm fuzzy in the cockles of the heart. This feeling typically represents connection to a person or object, with intensity that varies according to who or what is involved.
What is love to you?
In romantic love, a bouquet, jewelry, and words represent how one partner feels about the other. It’s as if love is infused in the object. With familial love, the meaning tends to fall on the quantity of attention, rather than the quality of it. If a parent pays more attention to a needier child, then the sibling may interpret that as being unloved and unlovable. When it comes to humanity, this type of love is unfortunately measured by conformity to narrowly defined standards of being. And self-love is oft aligned with and measured by the objects, attention, and approval one receives from others.
When I think of love, I think of a state of being; existence. Love is like air…in it, surrounded by it, taking it in at all times.
“Imagine being wrapped in a warm blanket of support and acceptance every moment of every day. As with air, this experience of love is always accessible.”
–Living In Total Health
Love is the experience of breathing. The depth of breath changes from time to time. Some moments are filled with shallow, chest breaths–superficial or inhibited experience of love. Other moments involve deep breathing—full inhale and complete exhale, absorbing connectedness like a sponge.
You see, the feeling of love occurs when we choose to attune to it and breathe it in. The Bee Gees asked, “How deep is your love?” My answer is, it’s as deep as your breath. Having difficulty attuning and experiencing love? Keep in mind, that love is ignited by action.
“Love is a verb.”
–Stephen Covey
Contrary to popular belief, love is not a noun, a thing to behold. Again, love is an experience that requires active engagement…action. So to feel love, BID. Please note that while the experience of love is enhanced by those who nurture and support your best, love is always available to you.
B
e Present
I refer to being present, mindful awareness, often, in my life, on The Glen Alex Show, and with clients. Being present is connective in a most powerful way. You are present when your mind and body are in the same time and space, and are aligned with reality. Being present can also be experienced as a pinpoint focus, being absorbed by a single topic or task so that distractions don’t exist. When present, you have the most power and control over your life and your experience. You can then consciously breathe and feel love.
“…maximize connection to self and life by being present.
Attune the mind with the body and the body with the mind.
You will experience more control and power than imaginable.”
–Living In Total Health
I
dentify
Make conscious note of activities and situations that bring you joy. It may be music, writing, crafting, snuggling, yoga, meditation, etc. Your conscious note of things that bring you joy is a list of caring behaviors that are small acts of kindness for self. The intrinsic value of activities such as these is in your engagement in them. No external approval needed. Incorporate joyful activities in your life daily to increase your baseline level of love and connection.
One of my clients has a very busy life with work and family. She instills joy into her life with a hot bath or Jacuzzi soak nightly.
D
o
Perform caring behaviors for yourself even if you don’t ‘feel like it’. And lean in during especially stressful moments in your life. Unfortunately, many people stop doing the things that make them feel good when the going gets tough. I say that “the going” softens when you experience joy and connect with the love that surrounds you at all times. So as Nike says, “Just do it!”
Love surrounds and is accessible for you 24/7. The choice is yours and does not require objects, attention nor approval from others. Simply BID on it.
Need assistance with feeling love and connection? Then visit glenalex.com to order your copy of Living In Total Health from our Amazon Distributor and get a complimentary consultation with Glen.