Valentine's Day exercise....
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:19 pm
Happy Valentine's Day to all you EP-Devotees! 
The images we see of Valentine's Day seem to suggest that love involves several necessary objects: flowers, candy, diamonds—at least a sentiment-filled card. If we are not on the receiving end of one of these, we may feel disappointed, even rejected.
Here is an exercise to recall all of the love we have already given to the world. We always have the power to be lovers — to love — and to remember that our value does not depend upon the response of others:
Pull out a favorite tablet or notebook and pen.
Decide on categories ... "Childhood," "Teen," etc., or maybe the streets or towns or cities where you have lived at different stages in your life.
Begin filling out the pages with every loving act you can remember from the stages in your life:
Examples:
"I turned a plot of our yard into a flower garden."
"I was kind to the class outcast."
"I gave my favorite toy to my cousin."
"I spent the night without sleep because my baby had a fever."
"I sat by the bed of my grandmother when she was dying."
Avoid starting sentences with "I loved," if possible, so you don't end up with "I loved ice cream." That's pleasure, and it's wonderful, but it's not the kind of love we're trying to capture.
Throughout the day, continue recalling and writing down your loving acts from the past and present. (For example, I helped KarenZ on the board today.)
THEN....This evening, sit down with a cup of tea or coffee, put on some Ellis Paul music, light a few candles, and slowly read over your list, allowing yourself to savor the memory of each loving act.
Express your gratitude that you have been a good lover in so many ways in you life so far!
Save your record of "true love"—your loving actions in the world—and add to it as you like. Add sketches or mementoes; add new items as they come to mind. Read it any time you need reminding that love is a verb — it's not what we feel, it's what we do!
Thanks for the many loving acts here on the board....like writing CD reviews......and making me laugh out loud!
KarenZ
The images we see of Valentine's Day seem to suggest that love involves several necessary objects: flowers, candy, diamonds—at least a sentiment-filled card. If we are not on the receiving end of one of these, we may feel disappointed, even rejected.
Here is an exercise to recall all of the love we have already given to the world. We always have the power to be lovers — to love — and to remember that our value does not depend upon the response of others:
Pull out a favorite tablet or notebook and pen.
Decide on categories ... "Childhood," "Teen," etc., or maybe the streets or towns or cities where you have lived at different stages in your life.
Begin filling out the pages with every loving act you can remember from the stages in your life:
Examples:
"I turned a plot of our yard into a flower garden."
"I was kind to the class outcast."
"I gave my favorite toy to my cousin."
"I spent the night without sleep because my baby had a fever."
"I sat by the bed of my grandmother when she was dying."
Avoid starting sentences with "I loved," if possible, so you don't end up with "I loved ice cream."
That's pleasure, and it's wonderful, but it's not the kind of love we're trying to capture.
Throughout the day, continue recalling and writing down your loving acts from the past and present. (For example, I helped KarenZ on the board today.)
THEN....This evening, sit down with a cup of tea or coffee, put on some Ellis Paul music, light a few candles, and slowly read over your list, allowing yourself to savor the memory of each loving act.
Express your gratitude that you have been a good lover in so many ways in you life so far!
Save your record of "true love"—your loving actions in the world—and add to it as you like. Add sketches or mementoes; add new items as they come to mind. Read it any time you need reminding that love is a verb — it's not what we feel, it's what we do!
Thanks for the many loving acts here on the board....like writing CD reviews......and making me laugh out loud!
KarenZ
