When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you do?
Where are your thoughts? Where your thoughts are as you wake up indicate in what you invest your energy, where you place your love. If you are thinking about what you want in your day, fantastic. If you are thinking about other people, work, what needs to be done, etc, consider how focusing on yourself for a few moments each morning can shift your whole day.
When you wake up, ask yourself “What is MY intention for this day?” Consider how you want to feel for the day or what you would like to achieve. Your intention may be as simple as:
- I intend to be happy with myself all day no matter what happens.
- I intend to be calm today.
- I intend to be peaceful.
- I intend to flow with each moment of the day.
- I intend to recognize that I am doing the best I can in each moment.
What would bring you the most joy? Intend it.
Or, if you want to accomplish something, intend that.
- I intend to feel joy in my accomplishment as I work on X project today.
- I intend to have fun with everything I do today.
- I intend to mow the grass and finish half of my to-do list and then do something fun.
- I intend to exercise today.
- I intend to be conscious about what I am focusing on today. I intend to focus on the positive.
Intending what you want for yourself equates to loving yourself enough to prioritize your desires. When you place your feet on the floor, state your intention out loud. Own it. In doing so, you set the vibrational tone of your day, you send the message “what I want matters today. I am a priority.”
As you go through your day, pay attention to how you respond to others. Do you receive? Deflect? Reject? By understanding how you respond to others, you gain insight to your ability to receive. When someone says “thank you” to you, how do you respond? “You’re welcome.” “No, thank you.” “I didn’t do anything, really. It was <the team, all your work, insert some other reply.>” “No need to thank me.” Your answers indicate your receptivity.
You signal I accept/allow/receive when you respond with “You’re welcome” or by returning a smile. Deflecting or rejecting what others give you with comments like “No. It’s you who deserves thanks” or “It was nothing” or “I didn’t do anything” deflects the gratitude given and signals you are unable to receive.
If someone offers to help you, from holding a door open to helping with some task or making your day easier in some way, do you accept the gesture? Do you respond with a “thank you?” Do you decline with responses like “I’ve got it” or “No need” or “It’s nothing”? Your response reveals your love story.
Really pay attention to how you respond. Focus on accepting “thank yous.” A simple “you’re welcome” is all that is needed to shift your energy to receiving. Notice how the person who offered gratitude responds to your acceptance. Notice who around you accepts gratitude all of the time, some of the time, or none of the time and how others engage with these responses.
Accepting the gratitude, kindness or help of others is an indicator that you are receiving not only gratitude and love but abundance from the universe. Consciously intend to accept kindness, gratitude and love from others—consciously receive. Notice if you accept easily and effortforlessly or if you have to work at it. Notice how receiving feels to you.
Think about how easily and joyfully people who are in love give and receive love. They delight in both giving and receiving. Accepting gratitude, kindness, and love is essential to falling in love with you. Giving and receiving is like breathing in and out. Breathing is the balanced flow of intake and output. Receiving kindness, gratitude, or any kind of love, is just as vital as giving it. Receiving is one way to experience loving yourself.
I’d love to hear how you allow yourself to receive love this week and what you noticed along the way.