Rooted In Love In February

My wish for this February is for it to be a softer, kinder month. Slower. Deeper. I want February to be rooted. Rooted in love that is steady rather than showy.

Love shows up for me most often in small, ordinary ways. It looks like preparing a simple meal or washing and folding laundry, letting even repetitive tasks be done slowly. Early morning coffee made by José. Walking Lucky or playing with her. It’s in spending quiet time with myself – writing, resting, listening inward – and in unhurried conversations with José, where presence matters. It’s in checking in with myself before pushing ahead, in responding thoughtfully, and in choosing to stay rather than rush on.

What Does It Mean To Be Rooted In Love

Love begins by appreciating what I already have. The people who check in with how I am doing. The quiet ones next to us. Habits that help us keep going when motivation is gone. The everyday blessings we get.

It’s easy to think of love as something we fall into or out of. Something fragile. Something conditional. But roots teach us otherwise. Roots go deep. They anchor. They draw nourishment even when the surface looks dry.

Love, when it is rooted, does the same.

This kind of love means being patient with ourselves and with others. Choosing kindness when irritated. A gentler way to talk to yourself.

Rooted love is not loud. There’s no sense of urgency. It doesn’t demand perfection.

It allows us to grow slowly.

This February, I intend to focus on building love from its roots. Focus on my inner world. Care for my body. Speak with intention. Listen more than I react. Let love be real, not a performance.

Love can be a quiet resistance, too. Resisting the urge to become jaded. By staying tender in a world that often encourages hardheartedness. By choosing compassion when cynicism feels safer.

Some days, being rooted in love looks like reaching out. Other days, it will look like resting. Both matter. Both count.

If January was about grounding myself, February is about letting love move through that ground, slowly, steadily, without forcing growth.

Writing For Guidance – a practice that is keeping me rooted

In her book Living the Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron talks about the practice of writing for guidance.

When we write for guidance, we write out a question, and then write down what we “hear.” Following our guidance, we find ourselves led, gently and well. As we practice writing for guidance, we find that our guidance comes more and more easily. The novice at guidance may find themselves doubting its validity. “What if it’s just my imagination?” It is not, or—if it is—the imagination is far wiser and more benevolent than we had previously thought. The essential message of guidance is the assurance that all is well; difficulties will work out; we are safe, guided, and protected. Our guidance comes, and we come to rely upon it.

I’ve started doing this every Sunday and it’s  adding so much to my life. I would recommend it to you. Let me know, if you do try it out.

Time Gap Practice – a practice I want to try

I came across this recently and it seemed like a perfect way to practice mindfulness and love. The Time Gap is that 3 seconds of time we have before we need to respond, say or do anything. You pause, get grounded, and then choose to respond with your highest and best response.

Read more about this on Sibyl Chavis’ blog / listen to her podcast here.

Peace of Mind. No letting other people interfere with your peace of mind and the good energy you have flowing. Commit today to responding with your highest and best response.

Use the Time Gap and Catch Yourself. If a situation arises and you notice yourself getting worked up, take 3 seconds, a deep breath, get grounded and then respond. Remind yourself how much you have to gain by not getting sucked into the negativity.

Give Yourself Credit. During and after the situation passes, give yourself credit for not allowing your negative emotions to take over. Yes! You did it. Positive reinforcement helps you do it over and over again until it becomes a habit. 

May this month remind us that love is not something we have to prove. It is something we can return to. Again and again. Like roots, doing their quiet work beneath the surface.