When your child walks in the room does your face light up? That’s how your child learns her value. It’s a very powerful message.
Toni Morrison said the above quote on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2000 while talking about her novel The Bluest Eye.
I saw this episode when it aired in 2000. I never forgot it. Below is a 2:26 minute long clip along with Oprah’s comments about it. Let me know how it resonates with you.
(An oldie but a goodie!)
Learn to trust the process that is unfolding in your life. Divine order means that life is occurring to the divine plan mandated before you were born. The key is not to get stuck in “the valley” or the ruts of life. God constantly offers help in the form of Spirit Guides, Angels, and other people.
Learn to nourish yourself and the other person with joy. Are you able to make the other person smile? Are you able to increase her confidence and enthusiasm? If you are not able to do these small things for her, how can you say you love her? Sometimes a kind word is enough to help someone blossom like a flower.
— How To Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
Love is the glue that holds everything together. If there is a problem, bring love into the equation. Ask God to sit in your heart to bring loving kindness to the situation. Do this and allow miracles to occur.
Mantra: I embody love and kindness today.
This is a follow-up to Mocha Angels Day 23: “I speak from the heart today.” A subscriber said to me, “Speaking from the heart can cause all sorts of problems. The heart is full of emotion both good and bad.” Our conversation led me to clarify the intention behind speaking from the heart.
I learned the technique from a minister. The exact mantra is “Allow me to speak from my heart center.” It’s to be said to yourself, silently or out loud, when you are alone, not in front of other people. You say it when you are alone because this is about shifting your energy. Saying it in front of others invites judgment, and that’s not what you want. If you can’t get away from other people, say it silently. It’s said before a tense conversation (or confrontation) in order to de-escalate the situation.
Be sure to say it before you open your mouth. The intention is to speak with love to the other person. When you do speak, love, compassion, and clarity will flow from your mouth. It’s almost magical. It’s simply a shift in your thinking. You go from “I’m right, you’re wrong” (the ego) to “I want to hear you and understand where you are coming from” (the heart).
The other intention of “Allow me to speak from my heart center” is to heal the relationship. This works for everyone and anyone with whom you want to have a positive relationship.
The challenge is to remind yourself of the mantra when you’re angry or fearful, or worse, consistently an asshole/difficult/brash/rude/selfish/self-centered, etc. I’ve been that person, on all counts. I had to learn, in the hardest of ways, that insisting that I’m right all the time was leading me down the wrong path of self-righteousness aka “why can’t people just act right?” I’m the one who needs to be checking myself. I don’t need for everyone else to behave.
There are times when it’s appropriate to fight and defend yourself, or to get out of a dangerous situation. You don’t put up with anyone’s toxic bullshit or abuse. I think the heart center mantra is a gentler way of moving through life because you are being guided by love.
Hatred never ceases by hatred but by love alone. This is an ancient and eternal law. – The Buddha
Ms. Mocha Angel 