I lived much of my life, putting parameters around love.  I only saw love as something for family and close friends.  Something very precious that was not handed out abundantly, but was cherished for those close to my heart. My definition of love was very small.  Being kind was easy as was living with compassion and having a loving heart.  But I did not love equally. Fortunately, I was raised to treat people equally and with respect.  It didn’t matter your color, your ethnicity, your occupation, or your religion, I was taught to be kind and have compassion for…

The moment I feel myself hiding or avoiding something I stop and do a quick self-evaluation regarding the issue at hand.  As I recognize my weaknesses I can better put together a plan to minimize the issues.  I am always striving to eliminate the negative and create something positive.  From my experience, people usually can identify several of their strengths.  Self-evaluation of those characteristics helps keep our positive attributes in check.  Our strengths can become areas of concern if we allow things like power and pride to develop.  Normally I reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in three…

Close friends are priceless and rare.  For me, certain traits are consistent among those I consider true friends.   All my close friends have heart.  It might not be obvious to everyone who knows them, but all live life from the perspective of love.  Some might not live with love fully exposed, but pulling back the layers reveals the true core.  Living from a perspective of love promotes kindness and compassion.  My close friends are people who choose to react with kindness.  We enjoy seeing others succeed. I trust my true friends.  Listening to their perspective helps me broaden my focus…

It takes self-control to conquer evil with good.  Allowing someone to blow off a little steam yet responding with compassion in your voice and nonverbal communication. Some of the most difficult times for me to respond with love are when I’m caught off guard and tired.  I can handle difficult situations, but when I walk into a tense situation or am involved in something spontaneously, I need muscle memory to help me quickly respond in the desired way. When thrown into the boxing arena, I want to stay calm and tactical.  I am not an experienced fighter and…