The Love Mindset: Transforming Yourself and the World

Have you ever looked around at the place where you live and the country that you live in? What did you see? What did you notice? What did you feel? I live in an incredibly beautiful area of Southern California. I love this place.

However, I notice a lot of other things happening all around our country and the world. Some of it is not so good and some of it disheartening. So, what’s missing? Maybe it’s the LOVE Mindset.

The chakra energy system recognizes the different energy centers within us, including the power center related to our survival needs and the feeling of love. I won’t go into all those energy centers, but I will acknowledge that we all have survival needs.

It is very hard and difficult to love when you are not having your survival needs met. You have to breathe, eat, find shelter, and support yourself and your family and your tribe. It can be a dog-eat-dog existence and a depletion of your power center. I won’t go into all the emotional factors involved with the need to survive here.

But, what happens when your power center empties out and you are no longer connected to the need and the feeling of love? I’ll let you answer that. When our culture and our nation feel the depletion of power and love, we have what can only be described as a symbol of depression that comes in many different forms.

What’s the antidote? The first answer is “awareness”. You can’t change anything unless you acknowledge it first.

Once you acknowledge the deficiency and the emptying out of an integrated power of the love energy center, you can change it. When you lose your power and the feeling of love, you deplete. Money and wealth are the physical factors that contribute to many different aspects of life. Survival and lifestyle are the resulting products of wealth. But the power of love is an emotional, interpersonal, and social internal experience of life itself. You can’t buy it. You either have love or you don’t. You can’t get love unless you have it to give. If you want love, go deep inside, find it, and choose to bring it up into full consciousness. This is the LOVE mindset.

So, how can we cultivate a personal LOVE mindset? Here are some tips:

• Practice Self-Love: Start by taking care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, setting healthy boundaries, and being gentle with yourself when you make mistakes. Treat yourself with the same love and compassion that you would show to a close friend or family member.
• Practice Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Practice putting yourself in other people's shoes and seeing things from their point of view. Listen attentively to their stories and try to understand the emotions behind their words.
• Practice Gratitude: Gratitude can help shift our focus from what we lack to what we have. By taking time each day to reflect on the things we are grateful for, we can cultivate a more positive outlook on life and increase our feelings of happiness and contentment. Make a habit of listing a few things you're grateful for each day, whether it's a roof over your head, food on your table, a supportive friend, etc.
• Practice Forgiveness: Holding onto grudges and resentment can block us from experiencing love. Practice forgiveness, both for yourself and for others, to free yourself from negative emotions and move on from the past.
• Practice Connection: Connection is an essential component of cultivating a love mindset. Connect with others who share your love mindset and align with your interests, attend events that promote positive values, and make time for quality connections with friends and family.

If you want to change the world into a more loving world, start with yourself first and go from there. You won’t be alone. There will be others who will love to join you in your new quest and magnificently incredible Journey. A word of caution: don’t be afraid to fail. Some failing is inevitable and that feeling of failing can only motivate you even more to increase your love in the world. Remember, you are unstoppable unless you stop yourself. Can you dig it? You are still above ground, at least for a little while longer. The LOVE mindset mission is yours for the taking.

Go for it!
Love, Dr. Paul

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Paul J. Hannig, Ph.D. LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Southern California. His goal is to help his clients define who they are, overcome obstacles, deepen relationships, conquer anxiety and depression, and evolve to the next stage of their lives in the most successful and productive way possible. For more information, visit www.psychotherapyhelp.com.