Only Love Today: Acceptance

Love is a good place to start a new beginning.

BUILDING ON LOVE

I wear a worn wristband that bears the words Only Love Today Recently, someone asked me what that phrase meant. Although it began as a mantra to silence to my inner bully, it has become so much more.

Only Love Today means…

loving yourself right where you are, not when you lose some weight, not when you accomplish this or that, not when you get your life straightened out.

It means loving yourself “as is” and offering that same unconditional love to the ones who share your life.

Only Love Today means…

looking at your child in her mess and mayhem and remembering she’s just a child who learns through her mistakes.

It means looking at yourself in your mess and mayhem and remembering you are human — capable of mistakes and worthy of grace, just like your loved ones.

Only Love Today means…

recognizing the effort it takes to show up on trying days and realizing that you show up. You show up. Even when it’s hard, even when you’re exhausted, even when it would be easier to quit.

It means remembering your presence — your mere presence — makes someone else’s day better.

Only Love Today means…

speaking words of kindness and compassion to yourself even when they’re not the first words that come to mind.

It means adopting a positive inner dialogue so those loving words will spill out and become the inner voice of those who share your life.

Only Love Today means…

choosing love when it’s so easy to choose criticism, judgment, ridicule, and revenge;

choosing love when it’s not convenient, comfortable, or reciprocal;

choosing love when it feels as though there is no love to give;

choosing love because love is a good place to start a new beginning.

Today’s Reminder

Seeing my own worth can be difficult, but noticing one positive attribute or characteristic about myself is possible. From that starting point, I can build. Today I will write something I like or love about myself on a sticky note. I will post it inside the door of a kitchen or bathroom cabinet I open frequently. I will write down another positive quality about myself the next day and every day after that until I have a significant collection of positive notes posted in the designated area. Even more, I will have awakened a love for myself I thought was long gone. I will build on that.

Excerpted from Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford, copyright Rachel Macy Stafford.

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Your Turn

Do you love yourself “as is”? Whew! That’s a tough one, isn’t it? Today, let’s accept the grace of Jesus in every area of our lives and offer it to others with compassion, empathy, our presence, and loving them wholeheartedly. Only love today! Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full