Love is Not Selfish

Sometimes listening attentively is the best gift you can give others, and that's what I set out to do with my accountability partners last night. It's easy to get frustrated when others aren't listening, and when you stick three women together, there's bound to be many interruptions and lack of listening. I made it a point to listen attentively and not get angry, even if I couldn't finish a statement without being interrupted a thousand times (which I was). And you know what? I walked away feeling refreshed, fulfilled, and connected.

I get tired of thinking about myself all the time. When we are so focused on ourselves, it's easy to get down. But when we start giving to others unselfishly, all that depression and loneliness magically strips away. God is the only one who is meant to fulfill us in the first place, so if other people aren't doing "their job" of satisfying our needs, well it wasn't really their job in the first place.

On to Day 4- Love is thoughtful.

Love thinks. It’s not a mindless feeling that rides on waves of emotion and falls asleep mentally. It keeps busy in thought, knowing that loving thoughts precede loving actions.

If you don’t learn to be thoughtful, you end up regretting missed opportunities to demonstrate love. Thoughtlessness is a silent enemy to a loving relationship.

Love requires thoughtfulness—on both sides—the kind that builds bridges through the constructive combination of patience, kindness, and selflessness. Love teaches you how to meet in the middle, to respect and appreciate how the other person uniquely thinks.

Today’s Dare

Contact a friend sometime during
the business of the day. Have no agenda
other than asking how he or she
is doing and if there is anything
you could do for them.

Get on it, people!