10 Steps to Bring More Love and Positivity Into Your Life Today

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How many of us have a generic houseplant? You know the one – the Philodendron, the kind that even those of us with the anti-green thumb cannot kill?
Does it sit in your kitchen? Bedroom perhaps? At your desk at work?
This plant is often in plain sight, yet you forget about it. Rarely does it receive water, attention, light. And so it withers until you finally notice it gasping for its last breath and quickly, you bring it a glass of water. It soaks up every last drop, and survives.

Often times we treat others, or ourselves, like a generic, thirsty plant.

How many times, as a parent, a child, a friend, a lover – do we say Not now, maybe later when what we really need to do is love and water that relationship with our children, our parents, our friends, and most importantly . . . ourselves.
How often do we stay exactly where we were born into? This could be a label, or perhaps a negative thought pattern. Much like the white, plastic container that these plants are sold in – these constricting, restricting ways of thinking do not allow our roots to grow, or expand.

And what happens when we don’t expand our roots? We don’t branch out, blossom, or flower – we remain stagnant, underdeveloped, neglected.

Labels and negative self-talk keep us restricted and restrained from expanding into the fullness that we are. Maybe we heard that we were not smart, or capable. Maybe we were told that we were not beautiful or lovable. And like a sad seed, that part of us took over and grew.

Perhaps family or society told us what we could or could not do, and we bought into that – BELIEVED it even – and that became our white plastic container. Imagine if you walked around wearing a plastic coat of armor. Your skin would not be able to breathe. Your ribs would feel like a cage – a cage that would not allow full expansion of your breath or the beating of your beautiful heart that should always remain free.

We can create our own flower pot to grow in.

We can decide what expressions we carry and show to the world. It is easy to say, yet sometimes very hard to do. How often do we make promises to ourselves to eat better, sleep better, and start meditating, exercising, loving ourselves in more healthy ways? Then we get caught up in our day-to-day routine and forget the promises. We go back to our habits, patterns, old ways of believing in what we “deserve.” We return to the labels that were placed upon us.

Perhaps we get so caught up in ourselves and our to-do list, that we lose the connections to those around us that will never, ever be on a list.

Here are 10 steps to grow and blossom beyond the monotony of daily routine and bring more positivity and happiness into your life today:

1. Water yourself and others

This comes in the form of the thoughts you think, the words you speak, and the actions you take. Be mindful, stay positive, and continue watering the seeds in your life that you want to see grow.

2. Feed the heart of yourself and others

Do something that makes your soul sing, take time to do the things that make you happy, and offer yourself up to others to help them reach this same goal.

3. Shine joy on yourself and others

Offer a stranger a genuine compliment, do a nice thing for someone just because. Be kind and act from a place of compassion.

4. Breathe.

5. Begin each day with gratitude

Start each day by finding a few things – big or small – to be grateful for. Gratitude anchors you in self-compassion and helps you remain confident in self-belief.

6. Nourish . . .

. . . your body with good food, physical activity, and proper rest. Nourish your soul with a good book, calling a close friend – whatever brings you peace and contentment.

7. It’s all about who you surround yourself with

Surround yourself with those that feed, nurture and care for you. Be with those that allow you to shine and be the beautiful, living, breathing being that you are.

8. Hold tight to your light

Lean into warmth and do your best to not water the seeds of negativity, labels, or restrictions placed upon us by society or others.

9. Get back to your roots

Understand your roots and get back to nature to connect to your origins. We often get so disconnected from nature – which is an inextricable part of ourselves – that we begin to feel cut off and malnourished spiritually.

10. Plant yourself in beautiful pottery, not plastic!

Surround yourself with beauty. Whether it’s physically beautiful things in your home, or planting your favorite flower in your garden, becoming more mindful in nature, or perhaps this means adorning yourself with daily love and positivity.

Where in your life are you perhaps living like a parched plant?
Where in your life do you feel restricted?
Where in your life do you need more water, more sun, richer soil?
Where do we need to water those parched places within ourselves?

We all have them. We may have different ways we feed them – or starve them – but those parts, if not fed with love and kindness, may grow wild and unhealthy. Where can we turn toward the sun and lean into warmth?

Create space in your heart and in your life for new shoots, and new positive growth to take over. We are all beautiful and meant to grow during our short time on this glorious planet.

I invite you to climb, like ivy, and grow with the green life just waiting to burst outside of you. Living like this, full-throttle, is the direct path to creating more love and positivity in your life.