You Got the Love: let your inner sunshine out
Listening time: 12.30 minutes
Good morning gorgeous humans from lovely London.
I have to say, there are many days that I wish I had the technical knowledge to set music to my posts, I would LOVE that. However, as some of you know some days I struggle to simply switch on my computer. In the days of being a lawyer, every time I would phone the IT department for a bit of help about of my current pickle, you would sometimes hear a soft snuffle laugh, followed by "it's Ange". Like "we've got the village idiot on the phone again, wonder what she's done today". Yeah, I'm that person.
**post publishing update: I WORKED IT OUT - see my favourite version of the song below (eeeek accomplished happy dance)**
While I am happily tapping away this morning writing this for you, I am totally crushing on 90s music, so join me, I am currently in bed, writing, chair dancing while I type. Occasional hands in the air and a whole lotta wiggling and air drumming (I am amazingly horrendous at it but I love it), trying not to accidentally kick the cat or knock over my coffee. It's a precarious balance.
The reason for this song choice, is today, I want to talk about love.
Specifically how YOU.GOT.THE.LOVE.
For a couple of reasons, love is on my mind today. Probably primarily because I am currently receiving some of the most extraordinary love, beyond my wildest expectations, both creatively to do with this website and business, but more importantly on a personal level. It's coming in from everywhere. I am literally covered in love. My London friends have been exceptional, showering me with that up close and personal squishy Eskimo kiss type love, and as for all my friends all around the world, you have been pouring it on me from afar. Fucking amazing and so incredibly uplifting. You guys make my life next level incredible. I am so lucky, I pinch myself regularly to make sure that it's real that I get to be surrounded by you extraordinary humans every.single.day. Urrrrrrrrgh GRATITUDE CENTRAL. Thank you.
However, the real surprise, and what I want to talk about today, is love you can get from people you don't know. Those people out there who have nothing to give you other than their time, love and kindness. This is something that has been building and building in my life, and let me share with you something I learned recently. Not learned as much as re-realised.
Humans respond to kindness. Humans are turned on at soul level by positive energy. You can light another person up with simple gestures: a 100-watt smile, a nod of acknowledgment, asking if you can help them in a small way, a little hello. Even better if you can aim this at someone you can see is struggling; someone that looks sad, a mother with the screaming baby or someone you feel needs a little extra something in their day that a small wink might fix. You have the power, to change the trajectory of someone's whole day/week, with absolutely minimal effort on your part.
Yes, I am aware that some people will think you are batshit bonkers (I get this perplexed look initially a lot, but I win them over eventually), Australians get this a lot overseas because we say hello to everyone, but that's okay, that's on them. By engaging with them, you are banking the positive vibes you put out, their response is irrelevant, it's how you treat your energy that counts. That you are willing to share it with others, knowing that it will be instantly replenished, means you are living in abundance, not scarcity. AND THAT my friends, is when things start to get wild. Crazy good FUCK YES wild.
An example of how to take this radiant positivity into the everyday us this; everywhere I go, I make a point of smiling and making eye contact with people I come into contact with, thanking the bus driver, I talk with people on the Tube (much to my friend's horror), I compliment people who look good on the street, and I sit and spend time with the homeless people outside my Waitrose and listen to what they have to say rather than tossing them a bit of change. I have time and energy to give, we all do. It's not taking anything from me or you, to give some of it to another person.
What happens next is absolutely startling. One, when people start giving back and you see the good vibes in flow, it feels incredible. LITERALLY INCREDIBLE. Tingles. Your pleasure hormones are lit up like a Christmas tree, and Daniel Craig isn't even anywhere in sight. Who knew? Secondly, when you start feeling amazing from the simple act of giving out some of your sunshine, that light starts to multiply in you, your personal sunshine quotient EXPLODES, and you'll notice people start to do the same to you. They start shining at you, people who are exceptional and giving and generous start to just, as if by magic, come into your life. To bestow these very gifts upon you. Just.like.that. And the big one, next up, incredible things start to happen to you. Fortune seems to be smiling on you, doesn't it? Constantly shining in your direction.
Actually no, this isn't luck, this isn't a hot streak, this is your new life. If you participate in the flow of positive energy in the world you live in, you are raising your vibration, saying to the world "thank you, more please" (Abraham Hicks is my positive energy guru), and here's the really cool part, when you do this, you just start to attract everything that is good for, the things, opportunities and people you want and need, and life just starts to feel good. I have never had less to give financially after quitting my job 2 years and chasing my spiritual tail across the world, yet I have never ever been richer in my life. Rich in love, rich in energy and rich in light. I am spiritually balling.
Seriously, I had waaaaaay more money, status and material things before I left Australia, I had "the life", yet I gave it away, and now I truly feel like I have never had more. I have everything I need, and I have 90% less "stuff" (including emotional baggage). How does that work? Well, when you realise that love, time and energy are the greatest gifts you can give and receive, then life just starts to make sense at a soul level. You begin to light up, from the inside out, and people can see it, they want to be near it, because it makes you and them feel good.
Yes, this sounds simplistic, and overly "unicorns and rainbows", but I assure you I am absolutely a woo-girl, but that's heavily tempered with a very healthy dose of realism. I am at heart a critical thinker, a right brainer, who has forced herself out of her head and into her heart. But you know what they say, you can take the...hang on...no, that doesn't work here ;-). What I mean is, I was skeptical at first, and then it started to happen, more and more abundance flying in the door and BOOM, now I'm a fucking believer.
But what I know to be true is that once you step into this arena, things start happening that are otherwise inexplicable. I come home from days out in London, in the miserable shitty cold, shining like a star. I haven't bought anything (I can't afford to hit Gucci with a hammer like I used), I haven't propped myself up with materialism, I haven't had to take energy from someone else on a dating app or stolen someone else's sunshine, I have just opened my eyes and heart and consciously let the light in, and out. And I come back glowing.
Go on, go out there today and try it. Yes, I know you're tired, worn out and had enough. Sometimes I get that you feel like you don't have time to smile, don't have it in you to say hi to anyone, that sometimes you feel like kicking the nearest person in the shins just for being a human being in your vicinity.
But if you just give it a go, I really believe you will start to see some extraordinary results. Imagine how you'll feel when someone you don't know tells you that your little smile/comment made their day, or that you're inspiring or that you're wonderful. There is nothing you can buy that will ever make you feel this good. It's authentic, it's real and you are so entirely worthy and ready for this magnificence, I just want you to start immediately. Please.
Give it a go, what have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing, but you have everything to gain.
Happy Friday all. All my love from here to you.
Miss Cook xoxo