Love and All that Mushy Stuff

I seriously wasn't going to do it. I wasn't going to do it for my ezine subscribers and I wasn't going to do it here; but alas - the love bug has splattered the windshield (well "dashboard" I suppose, depending on how you look at it). Terrible Blogger joke - so sorry. Yep, I wasn't going to bring up the whole subject of LOVE the week of Valentine's day. (Mostly because we're already saturated with all the cheesy lovey-dovey sentiments we could possibly endure.) However, I came across this great excerpt from Iyanla Vanzant's insight in Until Today and found it so fitting - what better time to share, right?

"I will know love when I realize... love offers me many things that I may not always see.

Living, Learning, Light, Luminosity, Law

Opportunity, Oneness, Openness

Vastness, Versatility, Virtue, Victory

Enlightenment, Eternity, Endurance, Endeavor

Until today, you may not have recognized some of the less obvious elements of love. Just for today, look beyond what you know to the hidden gifts, blessings and beauty of loving yourself and others. Today I am devoted to going beneath the surface of love."

My thoughts drifted, as they tend to do, to how SO many truly incredible women sell themselves short. SO many women rarely get the credit they deserve let alone give it to themselves. SO many women get the occasional "pat on the back" if the calendar says to do so (Valentine's, Mother's Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries...). So many women spend far more time looking at what could improve (weight, hair, skin...) and far less time embracing what's already theirs. When was the last time you showed yourself love - TRUE love?? Do you appreciate the gifts you've been given? Do you stand tall in confidence with each new accomplishment or hurry up & move on to the next thing on your list? Celebrate the moments that matter most. John Morgan so wonderfully pointed out "Be on the look out for life's little moments. You may look back & realize they were the big moments." Brian Tracy says "The people you love, and who love you, are the real measure of how well you are doing." We should be including ourselves in the list of those we love & who love us. How about your business; do you love your business? I don't mean the kind of love that involves how much you like the product & how fun your 'job' is - I mean are you showing it the affection & attention it deserves and needs in order to flourish? I'll close with a favorite quote of mine from Maya Angelou "Love life, engage it, give it all you've got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it."

Blessings to you, my friends!

Hugs!