LGP week 5 day 1
 

Attitude Shift: Harnessing the Power of Love
Reason: to see the best in one another
Discipline Skill: Positive Intent
Discipline Value: Cooperation

Wish People WellDo this silently from your heart when you are standing in lines, driving, or passing people as you walk. Give this gift to everyone you see. Notice how you feel when you do this.

Begin each day being grateful for at least three thingsBefore you go to bed, tell all your family members how thankful you are for their presence in your life. Notice what this does for your energy level.

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

Oh, I love this idea! I'm definitely going to start doing last thing tonight.

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

One thing I find really helpful is, when I'm feeling REALLY stressed at someone, out of the blue I say, "I love you." Nothing else. No "but" Nothing. It changes my mood and theirs. Sometimes I wait a beat and then ask, "How can I help you?"

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

I really like this one, too...especially the part about wishing other people well. I've actually started attributing positive intent to people when I'm driving & someone else makes a driving mistake. I think the reason people get so upset about other people's driving is 1) driving is a dangerous activity - when someone makes a mistake, our safety is involved, and 2) the other drivers are anonymous - we don't know who they are & that makes it easier :shrug to assume that they're stupid/mean/irresponsible.

So, I've been attributing positive intent when people make driving mistakes & I've been doing it out loud so DD can here. She's so funny because she goes right along with it & will make up a whole big story about the person. A few days ago someone was driving really slowly to merge onto the freeway. I felt myself starting to get impatient. So, I said, "That person is driving a little too slowly for this road. Maybe they are worried about something. I get worried sometimes. I hope they feel better soon." DD chimes is, "Maybe he is sad because his daddy is at work and he wants to go see his daddy." (That's her latest thing - talking all the time about wanting daddy to stay home & play.) Then she went on & on about this guy & how he must be feeling. It was really cute. It was a powerful example to me, though, of how DD is a mirror of me. She will reflect whatever behaviors I exhibit. If I wish other people well...she will, too.

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

i really appreciate this one. :)

everything changes in me when i apply this principle. everything. my attitude, my feelings, my actions. and doesn't life seem a whole lot better when you are thinking the best of everyone?

why do people have to give off these negative waves all of the time? myself included. we miss so much of what's going on when we're so negative.

:heart

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

Yeah, it really does change everything to think good thoughts! :-) And it seem to me that we Christians ought to be better at that than anybody. I mean, we have a loving, gracious God, who accepts us as we are. Shouldn't we extend that grace to others?

I had to comment on this because I have 2 very good friends...one Christian, one not...who are both very involved in alternative medicines. They both practice massage therapy & do what they would call "energy work." They are both in tune to whatever "energy" seems to be filling a room. We get together for playdates with our children & have been doing so for years now. Once, right after the war started in Iraq, we were all talking about it and our babies (they were all under a year old - none talking yet) started getting really aggitated. One of them bit another & then went on to bite his mom while nursing. Immediately the other mom said, "They sense what we are talking about & feel our sadness. I think we should try to focus on something else." We all know how babies & children pick up on how we're feeling even if we don't say anything. Why shouldn't that be true of other people?

I used to think that energy-talk was sort of hokey, but I've come to feel it myself now & then. I really believe that to a certain extent, people can feel what we put out there. Maybe they just notice our demeaner & that changes everything. I don't know. Sometime, though, I think places can have a certain feel even when you're not interacting with anyone & it could be because of the positive or negative thoughts/feeling put out by the people in that place.

...hoping that wasn't too strange or weird to post... :shrug

Ok, one last story (yup, I could go on & on today). I went to a coffee shop on Saturday & the woman behind me in line knew the employee who was taking my order. The woman behind me asked the employee how it was going & she replied, "It's been really, really busy - maybe because of the rain or something." She lowered her voice a little & said, "It's been all crabby people, too." She pointed to me & said, "She's the first person who has smiled back at me all day!" It was 1pm. It made us both smile bigger at each other. I wished her a better day & she thanked me for coming in. Sometimes I forget to smile at the people at stores/coffee shops/restaurants, too, because I'm sort of lost in my own world. I see, though, how it changes everybody if I can give a smile & a positive thought to the person serving me. It sounds so selfish to say that I forget, but I know I do. It's easy to be all tired & stop by a place for a cup of coffee & not really say anything to the person behind the counter. We treat each other as sort of faceless in our culture. I know that people are often surprised when I actually make small-talk with them.

Uh...I don't know if I've made any sense. I haven't had my coffee yet today, but I sure am a blabber-mouth this morning! :O

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

wow, thanks for sharing! I got goosebumps!

yesterday dd didnt get a nap so by 6.30 she was in full on meltdown screaming and crying and uncontrollable. so I brought her upstairs and laid her down. I was getting kind of frustrated, even though I knew she was super tired. she was just upset about the sheets and the book and the whole thing.
I got up, turned on her music and just said "Anneka, I sure love you! I love having you in my life, you are such a blessing to me". and she stopped crying looked up and me and smiled and said "yeah!" :lol but she calmed down instantly and was able to relax enough to go to sleep! I was pretty shocked! but it was cool.

Re: LGP week 5 day 1
 

yes, i've noticed with henry that when he's about to lose it or has lost it already that getting down with him, holding him, and telling him simply, "i love you! i love your energy and spunk! you're the best!" that he totally reconnects and things are better with us. :heart