Love month - for me, for you...

... and my Word of the Year

Before I signed up to be a Love Ambassador, I already decided to dedicate this month to love... for obvious reasons. My original idea was to express love to you, my friends and family, but as a Love Ambassador I was reminded to love myself. To show "me" love.

Do you think it's odd that I didn't think of that before? Sadly, it never dawned on me. That's typical of most moms and women in general. Christine Arylo, founder and author of Madly in Love with Me, is the brains - or heart - behind the Self Love revolution. Not only is she spreading the message of being "madly in love" with ourselves, but she's enlisted Ambassadors to help spread the word as well.

With Chistine's guidance there are different activities we can do along the way to guide other women to loving themselves. One of the things we can do is host a Self-Love Party and I initially decided to go for it, but there is one thing I continue to forget and often ignore. The slightest attempt to do this causes me so much anxiety that I don't think it's going to be possible.

I fret about it because I said I would, but the Madly in Love with Me team has been sure to express that we, the Ambassadors, can do as much or as little as we went in our quest to participate in Team Love. After much consideration I've decided that showing myself love includes honoring my current limitations and it also honors my Word of the Year: COMMITMENT. Not only do I want to commit to my larger writing projects and following through with tasks associated with those projects, but I want to continue the commitment I made to myself a year ago to take better care of me. That started with two mantras: 1) "One day at a time." Sometimes I have to think "one minute at a time" or "one second at a time;" whatever gets me through the moment, and 2) "I can't do everything." Regardless of how much I want to do some things, I just can't do them. My physical health and mental state oftentimes prevents me from some things. (Do you know how hard it is to say that?)

So I bide my time and move relatively slowly knowing and hoping that one day moving from one moment to the next will again be as easy as breathing. In the meantime, I still plan to share the love with you that I learn while being a Love Ambassador. I also want to honor, recognize or acknowledge people in my life in the following ways:

1. By calling those who I normally don't verbally speak to and/or seeing them via Skype or a visit.

2. By sending or handing out cards, photos or small gifts.

3. Making myself available to help someone else or paying attention to others around and be able to help without being asked, and lastly

4. Express to those close to me on a regular basis how much I love and appreciate them. I'll do that in a variety of ways.

I'll share with you what I decide to do and any responses, results or revelations I have. What's most important this month, at least for me, is that February be a totally loving and love-filled month.

Do you have lovely plans this month? Don't forget February 13th is the International Day of Love and, as you know, the 14th is Valentine's Day.

Share the love. Be the love. Feel the love.