loving others in 20178
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!
we wanted to put together a little motivation and summary to help you be your best with others, in the spirit of love, in 2018, so that everyone can have the best 2018 possible.
in addition to making this the best year possible for ourselves, focusing on others, and the quality of our connections with others, will, in turn, benefit our true happiness more than we can possibly imagine.
this is a compilation of truths we’ve honed over the past year, and that have made dramatic improvements in the quality of our relationships.
when interacting with others:
- make a commitment to be present when you’re with others. this means putting away your cell phone, and making a conscious effort to be fully engaged with the person or the people you are with. this intention alone will completely change your interactions.
- listen with the intension to fully understand. look them in the eyes. notice your tendency to think about your reply, or to get distracted by other things in your near surroundings.
- speak the truth and your truth, always. most of us are pretending to be fine and happy all the time. the reality is none of us are perfect, things aren’t always great, and that’s perfectly fine. speak the truth, be honest, and do it with compassion and tact. we only have this one life as we know it. we never know how many of these interactions we will have. be proud to be the most honest and real version of yourself.
- see yourself in others and accept them fully. when you notice something about someone else that triggers you, notice your trigger and immediately choose to see yourself in this person. accept them for all they are. everyone is doing the best they can with what they have, just like you are. if something bothers you, ask yourself, “can you see any hint of this in myself?” “have I ever been this way at some point in my life?” if so, then let go of your critical mind and choose compassion.
- assume the best in others, always. if something bothers you, whether it’s your interpretation of something you see, hear, or read, instead of letting your mind race about it, assume the best in the other person. assume their intention comes from a good place, and that you’re probably misinterpreting or overanalyzing the situation. have an honest discussion with them. more often than not, we will find there was no reason to be bothered.
- forgive often and communicate if necessary. holding onto grudges is exhausting. it’s damaging to health. make a commitment to forgive each and every day. when laying in bed at night before falling asleep, review your day and think about anything that may still be bothering you, and just let it go. if you need to, talk to the person, explaining what you need to move forward. or shoot them a nice text message so that you can move on.
- learn to give compliments and appreciation vocally. think about how good it feels when someone does this to you? again, we only have this one life as we know it, and we never know how many of these interactions we will have. if you care about someone and appreciate them, tell them! as often as you genuinely can! they need to hear it! they deserve to hear it!
- give unconditionally. give your love, support, manual labor, skills – whatever you may have, as often as you can. when someone asks for help, find all the reasons and excuses for WHY YOU SHOULD.
- SAY YES MORE OFTEN. always take advantage of opportunities to spend time with others. whether someone asks you out to dinner, over for a party, out for a hike, out camping, etc. learn to say YES. new memories will only come from new experiences.
SENDING YOU A TON OF LOVE THIS VALENTINES DAY :)
Paul, Nichol, & Conan :)
