Love Well

Photo by Nicola D'Anna on Unsplash

At some point wouldn’t it be funny if we had a price placed on our forehead. Like a sticker that says how much we value ourselves and the lives of those around us. It could measure how much we hope in a day or how we prioritize our loved ones. It could ask us what we think of strangers and if we’d give our sunglasses to the girl in a loose sweater sitting next to us on the light rail. Or it could warn those around us that we got sunscreen in our eyes or that we lost our hope a few days ago, so things are looking a little dim lately.

I think it’s healthy to recognize what matters most in life on a consistent basis. I think about the way I wake up in the morning and the way I go to bed at night. Is it honoring the life I have? Am I preparing and resting in a way that honors the life I am living? Am I loving those around me in the best way that I can? 

At some point I wonder if in any way my life could flash before my eyes without having a near death experience. Like, what does it take to recognize what matters most in life? Honestly, I think it could be as easy as slowing down long enough to recognize that we each hold value to those around us. We make a difference on a daily basis. What we do matters. How we treat the people around us matters. 

It doesn’t matter where we’ve been, where we are or where we’re going, what our job title is or isn’t. It doesn’t even matter if we are in a hurry or not. All that matters is that we slow down long enough to smile from within so that we can look outside ourselves and set out to love those around us deeply, well and fully. 

Some of my most replenishing days lately have been with my closest friends and family. It’s worth making time for those we love. It’s worth looking at ourselves and telling ourselves that we matter. It’s worth pursuing those we see value in. Take responsibility for your own well-being and then take a few breaths to look outside yourself. Notice the things you’re meant to notice in a day. 

What you notice and how you see things matters. How you share and express your perspective creates beauty, art and healing. You’re capable of more than you think. Your perspective is unique and highly valued, and it’s courageous when you share it with others.

I hope that you wake up each day and know exactly what matters in your life so you can pursue it with everything you are. I hope that you find purpose and healing every day so you don’t feel discouraged or offended by anything or anyone. I hope that you experience freedom and clarity in every decision you make. And I hope you are loved and choose to love those around you well.