Give Love and Receive love.

A few weeks ago, I was texting a good friend of mine while I was getting ready for an event. Said event was making me anxious. I was going to be seeing people whom I had not seen or spoken to in quite some time. I was not on great terms with some of these people, either. I was getting nervous for how it would all play out. When I told my friend this, she replied

"Just go in expecting to love and to receive love".

It really hit me. I took her words to heart, and I tried to live them out as best I could. Unfortunately, there was a minor incident at the event that left me a bit tangled. It made me question some friendships and feel overall guilt and sadness over something that happened several years ago. I felt down about it for a day or so, but I kept going back to the words my friend had texted to me. And I decided that instead of rehashing and letting my emotions get the best of me, I had to let this go and turn it over. I silently forgave myself and the others involved and I let it go.

Although I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, I think my friend's advice is going to become my mantra for 2016. In everything that I do, I am going to do my very best to love and to receive love.  It won't always be easy and I won't always succeed, but by focusing on love in this sense, I think my mindset will be positive and accepting. It also may bring me some surprising blessings. It may mean that I focus more on the good. That after a meeting or a party or even in my every day life, I can sit and reflect and think, okay, where was the love there? What did I give, and what did I get in return?

It will also come in handy in regards to my self and my self worth. I have a confession to make: Even losing 135 lbs does not suddenly make you love yourself without doubt. I still pick apart my flaws. It's something I am working on every single day. But it's HARD. I beat myself up mentally over the silliest things. In 2016 I am going to work on being kinder and more loving to myself. I am going to try to let the harsh words and negative thoughts go. The other night I was having a particularly down night. When the thoughts came through, I imagined them as balloons and I watched them float away. It was powerful, and something I am going to try to practice daily.

That is my focus for 2016. To love myself, to love others, and to find the love in every situation, and to accept the love that is given to me.

What is your focus for 2016? No matter what it is, I hope that you, too, find your days full of love.

Melinda Doolittle's song "Give" has the perfect message for my 2016 mantra.