21 Days

February Love Campaign

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

So I decided to do this “thing”

I wondered to myself, if I put love into the world for 21 days what could happen? Some believe that is how long it takes to get a habit stopped or started.

What I found…

was that the more intentionality I put into finding loving acts and feelings, the more I noticed it everywhere, and it felt good. I knew this in theory. Having studied human behavior for many years, I’ve witnessed more than a million times that we do, in fact, find what we’re looking for.

What I Mean:

I’m not talking about the missing sock you can’t find. (Where in the heck is that sock?) No, I’m talking about your beautiful brain that unfortunately has a negativity bias.

Whether we like it or not, Negativity bias has been trying to save us for years. This cognitive tendency to remember the negatives or pay more attention to experiences and emotions that don’t feel positive has aided our brains in identifying possible threats or dangers that can hurt us. Makes good sense if you really think about it. We’re on alert to protect ourselves. Truth be told though-most of the time there is no evidence to support the threat.

Caring Combat

So, what can we do about it? Quite simply, raising your awareness that you are doing it is step number one. By graciously paying attention to your responses to life’s “stuff” you are increasing your ability to reframe your experiences. When that negativity (in all its crazy forms) comes rearing its ugly head, stare it straight in the eyes next time and state your counter claims. Get bold and tell it, “ain’t no proof here that you know what you’re talking about!”

Instead

In lieu of perfecting our abilities to locate the downside of things, consider jumping in on my February Love Campaign and let’s rewire our brains to find love. I’m telling you-it’s feels kind of squishy in the best way. Are things going to all of the sudden feel perfect and “sunshiney” at all times? Probably not.

But, I’m betting your attitude, mood, and overall sense of well-being is going to thank you for it.

What makes you feel most loved? xoxo