Today I awoke and felt inspired to share the gift of love to all of those who I encountered in my day. But how should I do that? I paused to ponder this question.

How can we give the gift of love to each and every person we see in a day?

First, I realized I needed to remember myself. Let me share care and compassion with my own being. Too often we forget this!

I invite you to join me and let’s do that now. Take a moment to breathe in deeply. Breathe out slowly.

And now smile with me. Even if you don’t feel like smiling!

Turn the corners of your mouth upward and smile. As you do so, breathe in and fill your heart with loving, compassionate energy.

Breathe out any stress or old energy that is limiting.

Repeat.

Fill yourself with this radiant warmth and light of love, as you continue to smile. Bring a sense of gratitude for your life and the many gifts of your life into your heart. Breathe in and out, filling your heart with gratitude.

Now that we’ve filled our own hearts for today, how can we give the gift of love to others?

First, we can set an intention for today that from our smile, eyes, heart, and actions, we’ll share kindness and compassion. Even when we agree or disagree with someone. Even when we might feel irritated or annoyed. We can practice still sharing kindness and compassion.

Let’s give it a try! Here are 11 ways to inspire you to give the gift of love today. I’ll see how many I accomplish by the end of the day!

• A blessing – Whether done silently or aloud, we can share a blessing to someone for a day filled with joy, happiness, and fun.
• A compliment –  By sharing a compliment with someone, we’ve taken the time to be present and notice something special in the other.

• Prayer– Offer a silent prayer for someone, for their health and healing, for peace, for joy and laughter, whatever they may need.
• A thoughtful question of interest– Sincerely ask how their day is going so far. Or check-in on a past conversation – the recovery from that surgery or the illness of their pet.  A moment of care expressed through interest in their life.
• A warm smile– A smile is infectious and lightens our mood! So easily shared with each and every person.

• A flower- Why not? One simple flower picked from your garden or even bought at the store and shared with another. Such a thoughtful gesture.
• Appreciation- A thank you or words of appreciation, sincerely expressed, to another.
• A caring note, handwritten– Takes just a minute, but puts a smile on the face of the recipient.
• Time and attention with presence– In our busy days, we may skip over this one. But we can offer a few minutes of focused attention and time to listen and engage in activity or conversation with another.
• Hug – We typically don’t have enough hugs, especially in these times of a pandemic.
• An act of kindness – Small acts of kindness express our care. Maybe make breakfast or wash the dishes at home. Hold a door open or help with a package during your day. Buy someone’s coffee who is in line behind you. So many possibilities!

Maybe you’re thinking of other ideas? I’m sure there are many more.

Just for today, we can focus on spreading love, kindness, and compassion everywhere we go and with everyone we meet.

From there, maybe we can continue it tomorrow and the next day, and it’ll multiply, spreading to others around the world.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 

~ Leo Buscaglia

Find more inspiration in my recent book, Power for Life, and discover more upcoming events to connect with me here.