It’s February 1st!
I don’t remember loving this month as a kid as much as I do now. Perhaps choosing to get married on February 14th has something to do with it. There is a celebratory mood in the air in February and it’s special to have our anniversary coincide with this auspicious day. These last few months though, I feel that our civility with each other is being tested and it feels especially crucial that we all look for more opportunities to engage in loving kindness.
Join me in a 28-Day Mitzvah/“Loving” Kindness sort of challenge. Each day of February, I’ll be posting a daily idea for a simple act of loving kindness. They say that it takes 21 days to learn a new habit. I figured we could all use some daily reminders of how easy it is to ripple out love and kindness into the world. No matter what the political climate.
In addition, here is a simple “LOVE” reminder for engaging in daily kindness.
L – Listen
The best choice for learning what someone needs or what simple actions might make a difference to someone else is to have a conversation. Listen openly and act accordingly.
O – Observe
Put the phone down. We are all so plugged into our technology (myself included if I am not mindful) and when we are looking down at our phones we miss what’s happening all around us. When we observe more acutely we notice someone who might need a helping hand, or might just appreciate a simple smile to make there day a little brighter.
V – Voice
Use your voice in kind ways. Think before you speak. Articulate what you’d like to say with a calm voice. If you can’t say it calmly perhaps you need to wait to say it. Our voices can be used to give compliments and encouragement or spout nasty rumors and lies. Choose wisely how you use your voice.
E – Engage
We have an opportunity arising like never before to engage with others we might not agree with and to find common ground and perhaps compromise. Engaging with others is the first step to learning what our similarities might be as well as our differences.
All we need is love. Enjoy February and let me know what “loving”kindness you are doing.