Kind Promise: I will love without keeping score.
Honestly, this love topic has me spooked. There is something deep within me that is sure I’m going to do it wrong. (That something would be shame, fellow Brené Brown fans… If I can’t do love right, then how could I possibly deserve it?)
What is the right way to love, in my twisted little mind? EBULLIENCE! Now there is a great word – one of those words that churned up from within and made me run to the dictionary to see if it means thought it meant. Sure enough: ENTHUSIASM! EXUBERANCE! BUBBLING OVER! I note that this also arose a couple weeks ago when I was talking about gratitude… I think there is a Secret Wish here.
It’s a dangerous wish, however, for someone raised as a Midwestern Scandiwhovian. We don’t do exuberance. Heck, we don’t do emotions. But if I’m going to raise my love ante, things have to change.
“Actionable items” is a phrase I hear frequently in the business world these days. I have settled on experimenting with three actions for the rest of the month:
- Paying attention – I will try to give each person with whom I interact one hundred percent of my attention. When I am distracted by my internal monologue or emotions or by the external environment, I will bring myself back and attend to this holy being in front of me.
- Loving touch – I will literally reach out to people. Touch is unusual these days so, appropriately and respectfully, I will touch those close to me.
- Verbal affirmation – I will tell each person I meet what’s great about him or her. That means I will have to be watching for clues about what makes folks beautiful so that I can reflect it back to them.
Bubbly is way outside my comfort zone. I suspect that my enthusiasm will look to others like quiet reserve. Still, it’s somewhere to start.
I will report experimental results in my monthly newsletter.