Mantra Monday

I'm going to give it a try to go back to a themed day on my blog. Workout and Worship Wednesday is taking a bit of a break, but I hope to bring it back soon!

Right now, I'm motivated to do Mantra Monday because I just signed up to do the 21 day meditation challenge with Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra!  If you would like to still sign up, it's not too late.  Here's the link.  

This post is actually inspired by two things I came across today.  One is from today's meditation.  Before the meditation begins, Oprah describes what we can all expect from this journey.  In that, she said "be the love you want to experience".  That statement was very powerful to me because I feel like it's so true.  You get what you put out (in some cases).  Which leads me to my next point.  I got an e-mail from a blog I follow called Marc and Angel Hack Life and they had a recent post called 6 Reasons Your Relationship is Suffering.  Here's the link to the post.  

The first point made is to let go of expectations of how someone "should be".  This got me thinking about how we should give and love without expectations.  What I mean by this is when we give, don't expect to get something back.  Give as much as you can and to a certain comfort level where you feel like you've done your part by giving, yet not to the point that you feel like you've been taken advantage of. Give and love freely regardless of what the other person is going to do.  I find that giving and loving like this is good for your own soul.  

Now I don't recommend giving and giving and giving of yourself and you feel depleted because someone or something is always making withdrawls and never making deposits. I say you have to really feel this out, but it is really rewarding to just give (time, money, etc.) freely without always expecting to receive in return. The old adage is true "it's better to give than to receive".  I never really understood or agreed with this as a child (ha...children and their egocentric ways).  But as I have matured and grown, I do enjoy and get pleasure from giving to others regardless of what I may receive in return.  Lending a helping hand, giving money to someone in need or to a worthy cause, spending time with someone who needs a pick-me-up, etc. 

I think the same goes with love. If we give the love we want to experience, yet love without expectations, then I think that could be a really awesome gift back to ourselves.  I'm up for embracing these mantras, how about you? Any thoughts?

...love is friendship set on fire...