When we talk about love, we often talk about the kind of romantic love we want to receive. We look for the partner or friend who will love us as we deeply want to be loved.
However, what happens when we reverse our desire to receive love and begin to think about desire to give love? We often forget that love is a constant our lives. Love is something we create. When we turn the love we have outwards, we can use it to create wonderful things in world.
Love is an essential part of successful leadership and positive outcomes. Staying connected to love as we grow in our ability to lead allows us to create a deeper impact in everything we do.
So, for this week\’s article, I\’m going to share three surprising and simple things you can do to help you lead with love.
Breathe In The Good Stuff
- When we\’re lovingly connected to ourselves, we\’re better able to do things that make a positive impact on our world. One of the easiest ways to plug into ourselves is to take a big, deep breath.
- Spiritual disciplines around the world emphasize the importance of the breath. When we inhale we take a little of the world into our bodies, and when we exhale we release a little bit of ourselves into the world.
- People fail to breathe when they get tense or scared. They tighten up and hold their breath. This is because breathing encourages our connection to ourselves and to our environment.
- And staying connected to ourselves is an essential part of being an impactful leader.
- Here\’s one breathing exercise that can really help you anchor into yourself and to your sense of connectedness. Every day for a full week, take a few moments to draw in five full breaths at one time. Let these breaths fill up your lungs. When you inhale, imagine that you\’re breathing in love; on the exhale, breathe out all the love you took in. Imagine that the fullness of your heart and the fullness of the love around you is streaming in and out of your body.
Create a Wave of Kindness
- Scott Adams once said: \”Remember, there\’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.\”
- We\’ve all seen how our kindness can have a big impact on the world around us. People feel good when you\’ve shown them kindness. And those good feelings can ripple out into a much bigger wave.
- When we\’re kind to those around us, we lead ourselves and others towards a way of interacting that\’s full of thoughtfulness and care.
- For each day this week, do one kind thing for someone in your life. Do a favor for a co-worker. Or give some one you love some extra support. If you want to challenge yourself, do something kind for someone with whom you have a difficult relationship or for someone you\’ve been neglecting.
When All Looks Dark, Choose to See the Love
- There\’s no denying it – there\’s a lot of suffering in the world. It can seem like the things we do to improve the world don\’t seem to put a dent in the suffering and despair we see all around us. But even in the worst of times and the worst of places, there are glimmers of love. And it really is within our ability to see them.
- No matter where you are, or the current state of your life, take a few minutes every day for the next week to notice the many faces of love around you. They might be small – like a blade of grass through the pavement – but they are there.
