Love, One Choice at a Time!

Hey y’all…Hope here with another one of my Hopeservations and this one is straight from the HEART…

As of July 15, 2019, I am officially 23 days from the start of my 26th year in education.

WOW!

As I write 26 years, it seems hard for me to believe. And yet, these 23 days are 23 days before I get back to one of my GREATEST passions and I thought about this quote that I posted to my Instagram a few years ago

“You never lose by loving, you always lose by holding back.”

– Barbara DeAngelis

As children, we typically love unconditionally but somewhere along the way, as we age – many of us begin to hold back. Now, just so happens…some people are intuitive enough to inherently understand this right from the start and so they keep loving, some have to relearn it along the way, while others never quite evolve into the comfortable place of trusting to unconditionally love again.

I have been forever grateful to be one of the lucky ones who somehow knew this from the start. The act of loving and not holding back.

It was this very thing that also lead me and became one of the single greatest reasons I decided to follow my passion in education right from the start. With a humble understanding that my riches would be paid to me in love through the relationships I created and my success would be measured by the lives I helped mold, shape, educate, nurture, direct and in some cases – even save.

My purpose was NEVER about bringing home a paycheck, nor JUST to educate. MY purpose was and is to foster and follow a higher calling. It is about the LOVE of OUR students! To build and sustain relationships and communities of trust and love. To do the right thing for the benefit of a young adult or family, rather then just doing things right!

Because HUMANS aren’t THINGS.

And my decision to consciously connect with what I am contributing to the world affects others.

One. Choice. At. A. Time!

As a result, I have spent the better part of my life in a career where I love people from all walks of life.

EVEN ON THE OCCASION WHEN THEY DON’T LOVE ME!

I am nurturing those connections and relationships in lieu of holding back. So much so, I honestly don’t understand holding back…yet I recognize that many do. Even in their profession, even in their life.

Life has a way of teaching us to want to hold back. It’s a tricky thing, life. So magical and yet so full of painful lessons and broken trusts that if we focus on THAT, it robs us of our youthful, free spirited exuberance to love.

I came to the conclusion a LONG time ago that life is WAY to short to be anything BUT passionate about it.

I have always found that when we hold back our love it creates more challenges and roadblocks for us. In our career, in our lives and for those around us. It isn’t our authentic self and everyone can feel it too.

I prefer loving freely and embracing it…much like a child…and here is why!

Because, within our hearts is the power to chose love and ultimately, LOVE is LIFE.

Although we may sometimes lose sight, (and we can) the invitation is ALWAYS before us to take this path and all we have to do is remember that love reigns in our hearts!

Even when we face those lessons and challenges that seem insurmountable, we are FREE to remind ourselves that all that IS love lies within us. This steadfast help is always available and nothing, quite literally NOTHING can take away our ability to respond affirmatively with a whole hearted “YES!” to love.

Nothing that is, except ourselves.

We can hold back. Yet when we hold back, we are not being authentic to our heart or to our human make up.

Love radiates outwardly and feelings and emotions are contagious. So I make the choice to chose LOVE with the HOPE that others will catch it and make the choice for love as they travel their life’s path too!

So here is to my continued path of “not holding back” and continuing to love in my coming 26th year in education because (let me say it again) my decision to consciously connect with what I am contributing to the world affects others.

NOW…

Sing along with me…

“One love, one heart
Let’s get together and feel all right”
– Bob Marley

NOW…

Pray along with me…

“For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.”
– Psalm 26:3

Notice the theme?

Because no MATTER how you break it down, it’s…

LOVE!

One. Choice. At. A. Time

So what are some of YOUR thoughts on LOVE?

SHARE your comments!

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In the Spirit of Love

PS – Did you know Hopeservations is GROWING?!

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The ripple effects of SHARING HOPESERVATIONS are wide and far reaching – I get personal messages and emails regularly, thanking me for this blog so I want to thank all of you for supporting and being a part of this grow community!

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It seems there are a lot of us out there who appreciate personal growth practices and living a lifestyle of spreading hope and sharing observations about life.

I look forward to us continuing our hopeful journey together!

Now – I’m off to see what other BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS I can enjoy on this lovely day and you do the same!

After-all, everyone needs a little HOPE in their DAY and this is just the PLACE.

A place to find Hope everyday!

And as always…

Go in love,