Three simple, readily doable ways to be a little more loving.
For many, Christmas is an opportunity to have some time off, catch the breath after a busy year and spend time with family and friends. For others, it is the height of their religious calendar; a peak event for Christians.
For everyone, symbolically Christmas represents the birth of unconditional love in human form. Now, unconditional love is pretty well impossible to maintain all the time; hard enough to manage any of the time. For most of us, love does have a few conditions attached.
However, any steps we make towards being more unconditionally loving are sure to bring benefits to us personally and to those around us. So this week, 3 simple, readily doable ways to be a little more loving. Maybe one is worth considering for a New Year’s resolution, but first a little Christmas funny…
Thought for the day
I stopped believing in Santa Claus
when I was six.
Mother took me to see him
in a department store
and he asked for my autograph.
Shirley Temple
Three simple, readily doable ways to be a little more loving.
1. Practice gratitude
Gratitude opens the heart. With gratitude comes appreciation. A recognition of something or someone’s intrinsic worth, intrinsic goodness.
Gratitude takes almost no effort. We just need to remember to do it from time to time. The more often the better.
Gratitude is easiest with those things we naturally appreciate, but even more effective when we practice it with those things we have an initial aversion towards.
Take a few moments regularly to consider not only the theoretical side of why you have gratitude for something or someone, but go into the feeling that comes with gratitude. That feeling of gratitude will open the heart and lead to being more loving.
2. Recognize the nature of all people
Essentially we are all the same. Everyone of us wants to be healthy, wants to be happy. Whether you have the attitude of loving or hating someone else, they are essentially just the same as you.
How can we make a claim towards sanity while we sustain hating someone who is essentially the same as us?
Contemplate this. Surely it makes more sense to love someone who is just like me… This is a n opening to tolerance and being more loving.
3. Express your self
Some people may well be telepathic, but I do not meet so many of them. For most, telepathy is not so useful and guessing what someone else thinks or more importantly feels about them is rather unsatisfying.
The spoken word has real benefits. At a recent Christmas party, one of my own relatives was deeply moved by being told by a sibling for the first time that they loved them.
Direct expression has profound impact. Do not just think it. Do not presume the other person knows it. Do not presume the other person is telepathic. Express it. Appropriate physical contact can add depth of feeling to the words, but for what we are touching on here, the words are the main event.
Take your courage in your hands, or is that into your heart? – and tell the people you love and care about how you really feel.
HINT Maybe you start with expressing your gratitude to others with some clarity and heartfelt emotion….
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
No intention here of suggesting another thing “to do”. Life is busy enough. But maybe there is some resonance in one of these three. Something that holds a natural attraction. Something you could not only remember to do, but actually enjoy doing.
Aspiring to be more unconditionally loving actually does feel good; especially if you do actually do it a little.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
May it be a year of peace, good health, laughter, meaning and a little more love in all our lives.
NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT
Meditation in the Forest
The annual Pre-Easter retreat amidst the natural peace and tranquility of the Upper Yarra Valley.
Looking for meaning, clarity and purpose in life?
Need a break? Some time to stand back from the busyness of life, to re-assess, to regenerate, to regain some balance once more? A new clarity...
This year, as well as taking time out to deepen our experience of the stillness of meditation, we will practise together simple yet profound methods of contemplation - the direct path to a calm and clear mind that provides the real prospect of major insights...
For many, Christmas is an opportunity to have some time off, catch the breath after a busy year and spend time with family and friends. For others, it is the height of their religious calendar; a peak event for Christians.
For everyone, symbolically Christmas represents the birth of unconditional love in human form. Now, unconditional love is pretty well impossible to maintain all the time; hard enough to manage any of the time. For most of us, love does have a few conditions attached.
However, any steps we make towards being more unconditionally loving are sure to bring benefits to us personally and to those around us. So this week, 3 simple, readily doable ways to be a little more loving. Maybe one is worth considering for a New Year’s resolution, but first a little Christmas funny…
Thought for the day
I stopped believing in Santa Claus
when I was six.
Mother took me to see him
in a department store
and he asked for my autograph.
Shirley Temple
Three simple, readily doable ways to be a little more loving.
1. Practice gratitude
Gratitude opens the heart. With gratitude comes appreciation. A recognition of something or someone’s intrinsic worth, intrinsic goodness.
Gratitude takes almost no effort. We just need to remember to do it from time to time. The more often the better.
Gratitude is easiest with those things we naturally appreciate, but even more effective when we practice it with those things we have an initial aversion towards.
Take a few moments regularly to consider not only the theoretical side of why you have gratitude for something or someone, but go into the feeling that comes with gratitude. That feeling of gratitude will open the heart and lead to being more loving.
2. Recognize the nature of all peopleEssentially we are all the same. Everyone of us wants to be healthy, wants to be happy. Whether you have the attitude of loving or hating someone else, they are essentially just the same as you.
How can we make a claim towards sanity while we sustain hating someone who is essentially the same as us?
Contemplate this. Surely it makes more sense to love someone who is just like me… This is a n opening to tolerance and being more loving.
3. Express your self
Some people may well be telepathic, but I do not meet so many of them. For most, telepathy is not so useful and guessing what someone else thinks or more importantly feels about them is rather unsatisfying.
The spoken word has real benefits. At a recent Christmas party, one of my own relatives was deeply moved by being told by a sibling for the first time that they loved them.
Direct expression has profound impact. Do not just think it. Do not presume the other person knows it. Do not presume the other person is telepathic. Express it. Appropriate physical contact can add depth of feeling to the words, but for what we are touching on here, the words are the main event.
Take your courage in your hands, or is that into your heart? – and tell the people you love and care about how you really feel.
HINT Maybe you start with expressing your gratitude to others with some clarity and heartfelt emotion….
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
No intention here of suggesting another thing “to do”. Life is busy enough. But maybe there is some resonance in one of these three. Something that holds a natural attraction. Something you could not only remember to do, but actually enjoy doing.
Aspiring to be more unconditionally loving actually does feel good; especially if you do actually do it a little.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
May it be a year of peace, good health, laughter, meaning and a little more love in all our lives.
NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT
Meditation in the Forest
The annual Pre-Easter retreat amidst the natural peace and tranquility of the Upper Yarra Valley.
Looking for meaning, clarity and purpose in life?
Need a break? Some time to stand back from the busyness of life, to re-assess, to regenerate, to regain some balance once more? A new clarity...
This year, as well as taking time out to deepen our experience of the stillness of meditation, we will practise together simple yet profound methods of contemplation - the direct path to a calm and clear mind that provides the real prospect of major insights...
Dates 4 pm Friday 7th April until 2 pm Thursday 13th April 2017.
Venue The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Court, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia
Bookings The Gawler Foundation: +61 (3) 5967 1730
For more details and to book : CLICK HERE
Venue The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Court, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia
Bookings The Gawler Foundation: +61 (3) 5967 1730
For more details and to book : CLICK HERE
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