Power of positivity

You always have a choice. Choose to be kind.

Have you ever felt that yuck in your stomach… that moment where you wish you could take back your words? Take back that negative thought or judgment? Where you wish you would have thought a little longer before you acted a certain way towards someone? We all have. I am guilty, for sure. I have caught myself feeling terrible for judging someone before I really knew their story. But, then we learn and grow from the experience, and hopefully the next time we aren’t quick to be critical. We remind ourselves to choose again. Your decision to choose love might just be exactly what someone needs to turn their life around.

“You never know when you’ll be the person who ignites an awakening in someone else. That’s why it’s so important to weave kindness and love into all of your interactions. You can’t predict when you will be the catalyst for something wonderful to light up another human being – but there will be many such moments. And your love and compassion will be the exact thing someone needs to feel understood, and okay, and inspired. “ – Scott stabile 

Someone cuts you off on the highway. You want to honk and get angry. What you don’t know is that someone just got a phone call that their loved one has little time left and they are rushing to get by their side. They are trying to process their emotions and furiously rushing to see them. Take a deep breathe and be grateful you aren’t rushing to the same place.

Someone is callous to you in line at the grocery store. What you don’t know is that someone is at the store buying food for their family and they’re unsure if their card will decline. They are anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, tired and embarrassed. They need to bring food home for their children but are afraid they may not be able to today. Kill them with kindness instead of being rude back.

You are in your car at a red light. Someone is taking a long time to cross the street, and the light turns green. You get angry and impatient. What you don’t know is that person is blind. Be patient and compassionate.

You’re sitting in your living room, staring out the window, enjoying the sunshine as it warms your face. You see someone walk up to your mailbox and open it. You immediately think that they are about to steal something from you. You quickly run outside and yell, “What do you think you’re doing looking in my mailbox?” The person looks at you nervously, shaken up by your enraged energy. “I’m sorry, your mail accidentally got left in my mailbox. I just stopped by to bring it to you. I thought I’d just leave it here, in your mailbox.” Someone was actually doing a kind deed. Take a moment to consider what’s happening before assuming the worst. Approach with kindness.

While waiting in line to meet Mickey Mouse in Disney World, you see someone “cut” to the front of the line. You get angry, and march over to the cast member to complain that someone skipped the line. What you didn’t know is that the family who got to go to the front of the line are in Disney World because their 6 year old son has a rare disease that has given him months to live. The Make-A-Wish Foundation made his wish to meet Mickey Mouse come true. Be grateful. You get to be in Disney World with your healthy child.

We can all be so quick to judge others’ without knowing the full story. If we take a moment to stop and listen to others and hear it from their perspective, perhaps we would have more love in the world. I’m constantly reminded of this whenever things don’t go perfectly or seem to be against me. The reality is, life could always be so much worse. It’s a lesson in perspective & humility.

This is a gentle reminder for me, you, all of us: be kind to everyone. Be patient and understanding. If everything you see is rooted in your own identity, it will be impossible to see from another’s point of view. Consider what life is like for someone whose shoes you have not walked a mile in.

“We’re all going through shit. Each one of us, in our own way. Let’s remember that when we see each other on the street in stores at work and at home. Everywhere. Let’s be good to one another and cut each other some slack.”

Amen, Scott Stabile. Amen.

Power of positivity

The surest way to see love is to be love.

“Our world is not made beautiful when more of us are skinny, or smooth, or blonde. It’s made beautiful when more of us are happy, with less shame and more love for ourselves. And with deeper compassion and empathy for one another.” -Scott Stabile, “Big Love”

I met Scott during a short retreat to Canyon Ranch with a group of empowering, supportive women. There were so many classes and activities to choose from. The list included everything from Pilates to Zumba, cooking class to contemplative circles, astrology to seasonal hikes. Scott Stabile was a guest instructor, only staying at Canyon Ranch for a limited period of time. He was offering a soul writing course, and though it was later in the evening, I knew I wanted to take it. I had no idea who he was or what he was going to share, but the short description of his class was enough to tell me that he was someone I wanted to learn from.

Scott inspired me with his words and his energy. He was gentle, calm, warm and passionate about kindness & love. His class was emotional and powerful, and inspired me to start writing more. I bought several copies of his coffee table book, “Just Love” and refer to it often for simple reminders. I’m currently listening to his book “Big Love”… which shares stories from his life and lessons in how choosing love over hate makes all the difference in living a happy, meaningful life. And, why forgiveness is so crucial to living authentically. Scott’s words hold so much power, as he reminds us of exactly what we need to hear.

“ Love never recedes but only grows the more freely it’s given, so let’s be sure to share love with all we encounter. We are changing more lives than we know. We are love.”

-Scott Stabile, “Just Love.”

As we all experience the chaos and abnormality that is 2020; a worldwide pandemic, racial injustice, political turmoil, social media negativity…. we need to be reminded of what matters.

We get this opportunity to live & love each day, to make memories, to lift others up, to be kind, to make a difference, to feel full, to feel rich with abundance from connection rather than material things. What will hatred bring? More hatred. What will love bring? More love. BIG love. Just love.

Love perpetuates love. Whenever I see this word – LOVE – it makes me feel warm. There’s something about it that resonates so strongly in my soul. Meeting Scott was very powerful; his message was clear and made perfect sense to me. We all need to learn from his message, especially now. We can have opinions that differ, we can believe in a different higher power, we can have different political views, we can choose to live our lives in ways that are different from others but no matter what, treat others and the world with love. It will make all the difference 💛

For more information on Scott & his work, visit scottstabile.com.