Loving-Kindness as a Way of Being

“Your every thought, feeling, perception, spoken word, and performed action reverberates into the universe.” ~Swami Muktananda

“Your mind cannot sustain loving thoughts about yourself if deep within, you’re vibrating with self-judgement.” ~Dr. Barbara DeAngelis

“Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“As you think you vibrate. As you vibrate you attract.” ~Abraham-Hicks

If only we could just make all of the drama and pain in our lives disappear. What a wonderful world it could be!

The word kindness on a blue sky with clouds

I have learned that although we may not be able to eliminate drama and pain entirely, we can certainly minimize it through Loving-Kindness towards ourselves and others.

Here are ten ways in which we can commit to Loving-Kindness and make our lives much healthier and happier. Excerpts are taken from the book Coming Home to Who You Are by David Richo.

  • I do my best to keep my word, honor my commitments, and follow through on the tasks I agree to do.
  • I forego taking advantage of anyone because of his ignorance, misfortune, or financial straits. My question is not “What can I get away with?” but “What is the right thing to do?” If I fall down in this, I can admit it; make amends, and resolve to act differently next time. Now I more easily and willingly apologize when necessary.
  • I keep examining my conscience with true candor. I am taking searching inventories not only about how I may have harmed others, but also about how I may not have activated my potentials or shared my gifts, how I may still be holding on to prejudices or the will to retaliate, how I may still not be as loving, inclusive, and open as I can be.
  • I am letting go of the need to keep up appearances or to project a false or overly-impressive self-image. Now I want to appear as I am, without pretense and no matter how unflattering. I do not want to use any charms of body, word, or mind to trick or deceive others. Being loved for who I am has become more important—and more interesting—than upholding the ever-shaky status of my ego.
  • I now measure my success by how much steadfast love I have, not by how much I have the bank, how much I achieve in business, how much status I have attained, or how much power I have over others. The central—and most exhilarating—focus of my life is to show all my love in the style uniquely mine, in every way I can, here and now, always and everywhere, no on excluded.
    As I say Yes to the reality of who I am, with pride in my gifts and unabashed awareness of my limits, I notice I can love myself and that I become more lovable too.
  • I never give up on believing that everyone has an innate goodness and that being loved can contribute to evoking it.
  • I am learning to trust others when the record shows they can be trusted while I, nonetheless, commit myself to being trustworthy no matter what others may do. I am always open to rebuilding trust when it has been broken, if the other is willing.
  • I remain open to reconcile with others after conflict. At the same time, I am learning to release those who show themselves to be unwilling to relate to me respectfully. I accept the given of sudden unexplained silence and rejection by others and will never use that style myself.
  • I am learning to be assertive by asking for what I need without fear or inhibition. I ask without demand, expectation, manipulation, or a sense of entitlement. I can show respect for the timing and choices of others by being able to take no for an answer.

Loving-Kindness One Week at a Time

For one week, try working on at least one of the practices. I suggest the one that triggers you either defensively or you have the strongest reaction to is the one you likely need to work on the most.

Keep these and add one practice each week and see how much calmer and peaceful your life can be.

Source: http://davericho.com/commitment-to-lovingkindness.pdf

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