Love what you Do, Do what you LOVE

This month is THE MONTH we see hearts and cupids and red and pink—I think it’s funny how all the pink and red look so good in the store displays and on those gushy cards, but if you were to wear those two colors together –people would think you are definitely an 80s child or just have a big fashion catastrophe going on OR MAYBE you are trying out to be a cupid in one of those store windows???

THIS is the LOVE month—in a WILL YOU BE MY Valentine sense where we ask others to “BE MINE” or give them cute little candy messages that say “U-R-COOL” OR “HOT MOMMA.” (Hot Momma is my fave! haha!)

But instead of just using this month to celebrate our love for one another and think about how we should love more—why don’t we do this all of the time?!?  Love is important ALL OF THE TIME, right?

This is a tough month for me—I am a solar powered person.  The fact that we have had about 5 straight days with very little sunlight is painful to me.  It’s hard for me to keep my sunny attitude during this time when there IS– NO– SUN!  But I hang on to the fact that LOVE is something that can’t be frozen –it is an ever present thing even when the sun is not shining.

…singing now… 

The sun’ll come up tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrowwwww…there’ll be sun…

God wrote that song for me especially for days like these.  I don’t know if the sun will be out tomorrow (probably not here), but I keep in mind that it is still shining!

So, there are things that get us down.  For me, the lack of sun can do it.  For you, it probably something else like…???

How do we get over these things and remember to love ALL THE TIME?

Keep on loving no matter what!

You’ve heard DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF?

That seems like a cliché thing to say or something you hear people say, but don’t really mean. 

BUT REALLY—

This is so important in keeping your LOVE attitude.

Circumstances creep up on us and we get all stressed out and flip our lids…but you can’t let rule you.

In my line of work, “small stuff” comes in form of a 16 year old (or so) child who whines because I make them draw and color in my class.  REALLY!?  We even finger paint sometimes!  It’s not rocket science.   My class should be a class they enjoy and allow their minds create and imagine.  I think after about age 10, students forget that they are awesome artists… and then they come in my class declaring they can’t draw a straight line or make a stick figure.  I wish I had a true tally on how many times I heard either of those statements.  Oh! But I’m getting off my topic a little…

IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE, no matter what small (or even big) annoyances we have—we can enjoy everything.

And this takes a lot of LOVE for somethings, some instances and especially in the case of some people.  Loving those that annoy us is the hardest,  BUT WE GOTTA DO IT! — if we want all of our months to be full of love.

We have to stop letting little things bother us and be happy. 

Love those around you even if it takes a lot of tongue biting and prayer.

To make more room for LOVE ya gotta get rid of worry.

DON’T WORRY –BEEE HAPPY—another popular saying thanks to that song from, I believe, the 80s.  Remember the whistle in it?

Here’s a little song I wrote— 

(Remember some of the lyrics:)

… in every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double. ..don’t worry, be happy!

Worry is from the devil.  It stops you from showing the love you need to show and most of the time, receiving the love you need.  

You know when you worry it’s hard for people to love you.  Most of the time it makes you grumpy and grouchy.   I know when something big is coming up in my schedule that I may be a bit apprehensive about…I get a little crazy.  I try my hardest to keep it in perspective and keep a smile on my face.

STRESS AND WORRY are two major things you have to get rid of in order to allow LOVE to lead you life.  You can’t love what you do and do what you love if you are stressed and worried about what you do.

In Matthew 6 it says DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.  YOU HAVE PLENTY TO WORRY ABOUT TODAY.

In other words: live in today.  Take care of now.  Do not worry about tomorrow or what is coming, take care of the present!

The definition of worry is TO TORMENT ONESELF WITH OR SUFFER FROM DISTURBING THOUGHTS –OR TO FRET.

Who in the world wants that!?  EWW.

Some may say, “I’ve always been a worrier.”  To that I say SO!…anyone can reform.  I believe that with LOVE anyone can become a better person, a better teacher, spouse, mom, dad– HUMAN BEING. 

Get rid of that stuff that clouds your mind and slows you down.  Make more room for LOVE.  Love what you do even when it’s something that you don’t normally enjoy.  Go at it with an attitude of love. 

BE BLESSED in the fact that you can show a CAN DO ATTITUDE AND KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON.  Don’t let things of your world get you down …get a perspective of LOVE!  

Yes, I’m yelling all this:

LOVE YOUR SPOUSE EVEN WHEN HE ASKS YOU WHY YOU HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER BOTTLE OF FINGERNAIL POLISH SINCE YOU ALREADY HAVE 200 BOTTLES STORED IN A RUBBERMAID TUB UNDER YOUR BED. (Just because he doesn’t support your addiction, doesn’t mean you can’t still love him!)

LOVE YOUR BOSS EVEN WHEN HE GETS THE STUDENT OFFICE AIDE TO BRING ALL THE CONTENTS OF YOUR MAILBOX DOWN TO YOUR ROOM AND PUTS IT IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR DESK, BECAUSE IT WAS TOO FULL TO PUT ANOTHER THING IN.  (This was actually kind of funny and he still denies he had anything to do with it—blames it all on the student. I still love him …and the kid too.) 

LOVE THE FLAT TIRE YOU GET ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE WHERE YOU CAN’T EVEN GET OUT OF THE CAR AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO RESCUE YOU.  LOVE IT THO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT WILL HOLD AIR AGAIN EVENTUALLY AND YOU ARE BLESSED TO HAVE A VEHICLE (…because some don’t.)

You know, I heard a saying this past weekend –at church, I believe:

I hated the fact I didn’t have a good pair of shoes until I saw someone who didn’t have feet. 

Wow, is that putting something in perspective!  Look to what you HAVE, not what you “have not.”

Look to the blessings you have in your life and LOVE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING…

That is the only way you can make EVERY MONTH a love month.

It might not always be PINK AND RED and full of cheesy sentiments (On cards that cost like 5 bucks!) …but it will be full of love!

LOVE WHAT YOU DO, DO WHAT YOU LOVE!