Acts of Love by Chris Fox
Love is vast, grand, elusive, and sublime. It is also simple like a gentle whisper. We all have our own definition of love, and I feel that’s the beauty of its majestic nature.
What is an act of love for you? What do you love giving and what do you love to receive?
(I will ask you to pause here, take a few moments to close down you eyes and feel into it, and then write down what you feel is an act of love, both giving and receiving, we will look into that later on!)
When I think of acts of love I remember when I drove across town early in the morning to put a cup of coffee outside my beloved’s door before she walked to work. I remember the electrifying and breathtaking energy from a first anticipated hug with someone special. Or the comfortable silence with a friend just sitting together without having to perform or hold a conversation. Or the gentle but firm hug from a friend while I was crying from a massive heartbreak.
But what about the acts of love that doesn’t involve another person? What about the acts of self-love that set the scene for any other acts of love?
For me I think of every morning where I take some time to meditate, to dive deep within my mind and my heart to listen to what is going on. It is the moment where I sit down to write a page of whatever comes up, once again another way of listening. It is the time I take for myself to move my body, to have a conversation with myself no matter if it’s hard or not, it’s a conversation of constant love. It is also the times I have a meal for myself, even in a crowded room, where I get to enjoy something so simple.
And so acts of love are as important to give ourselves as they are giving to others. The definition of what an act of love is, you get to choose that entirely for yourself. And sometimes we might not even know what it is. Sometimes doing something simple just makes us feel utterly at peace and that is enough. Other times we need to do something grand to get that feeling. And our acts of love might change over time.
Maybe you can relate to being a person who loves to be of service to others, to help friends out in need, and that you love seeing the joy on people’s faces when you do so? But at the same time, you might not give yourself that same attention. The acts of love for others surpass the acts of love for yourself. Or even more so, maybe you have thought “I wish someone would do this for me…”
I know, I’ve been there. I am a very giving person by nature. And yes, sometimes it can end up being a bit self-sacrificing and one-sided. Don’t let that beat you down. Because your experience is often going to be a bit different from anyone else’s.
So back to my initial questions, and have a look at what you wrote down. What are the things that you love giving, and go a bit deeper into it. What examples or situations where this happened comes up for you? How did it make you feel, and how did it make the person receiving it feel, do you think?
What about the receiving acts of love? What did you write down about what you love receiving? Write down some examples and situations here as well to go deeper into it. What did you feel, what do you remember of these moments and whoever gave this to you?
And now, to put this to the test, the acts of love that you love giving to others, how can you change that to give to yourself? What would that look like, and more importantly, how would that feel like? How creative can you get with it? Is there an element of surprise, is it mainly words of affirmation or a gesture that you can speak out to yourself in front of the mirror, or is it a physical gift that you can present to yourself?
The same goes for the things you love receiving, are they any different from what you love giving? If so, try giving something to someone else that you love receiving. Notice how that feels, notice how it is received. Maybe it surprises you as much as it surprises the other person!
Acts of love are essential to how we relate to one another and ourselves. And it helps us to evolve and grow as well, as we go on this journey to get to know ourselves and each other through these acts of love. I hope that you never stop giving and receiving acts of love, no matter how small or grand they are. Don’t ever for a second doubt the power you have by giving acts of love, and the bravery and openness it takes to receive them as well.
I am curious to know how this makes you feel and if any changes or insights comes up! Feel free to reach out to me to share your story.
Thank you so much for reading,
Chris Fox
About the Author
Chris Fox is a mobility specialist and movement coach focusing on joint health, body awareness, and how to reduce pain with active bodywork. With the Fox Method, he helps people to get a stronger connection to their body, by isolating joint awareness, activating body control, and integrating healthier movement habits.
If you want to work on your mobility and stability, increase more body awareness and reduce pain to feel more light and alive, you can contact Chris for a session: thisischrisfox@gmail.com
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