We may all have different values, beliefs and priorities for our lives but underlying most of our joy is what I call the ‘Attributes of Life’. If we aim to incorporate some of these attributes then I believe we are well on the way to achieving true love, joy and fulfilment.
1. Living- Of course this sounds easy but true living means experiencing every moment to the full. The more connected we are with ourselves, others and our surrounds, the more we can experience all that life has to offer.
2. Loving- Our ability to love others and ourselves unconditionally comes with definite challenges but also definite rewards. Love is action, so by being able to express and feel love fully requires acceptance, forgiveness, respect, care and service to name a few.
3. Learning- How open are we to learning? How many times do we make the same hurtful choices until we realise that these experiences are trying to teach us something? Remaining open to learning requires humility, patience and a bit of humour thrown in but again the gain is worth every bit of pain!
4. Growing- Slightly different to learning is our growth. This is based more on our spiritual journey and although our lessons and realisations from the other attributes help with our growth, it is our personal, spiritual journeys that are leading us to self-realisation. This requires time, effort and self-discipline to connect with the divine aspect of our beings but once again, the rewards far outweigh the effort!
5. Serving- Service alone can lead to self-realisation and enlightenment… and something not really taught or valued enough in western civilisation. When is the last time you did some unconditional act of service for someone else, especially for someone you didn’t know? Again, love is action!
6. Appreciation- How often do we stop to ‘smell the roses’? Of course this is a metaphor for appreciating what we have, the people around us and what beauty that life has to offer. As with true living we need to learn to connect with the moment we are in to truly appreciate what life and those in our lives have to offer.
Related Posts
