Welcome to Show More Love!
Are you ready to show more love?
I hope so. The world really needs it right now.
Facing a world of ever darker, more complex challenges, we can struggle to see any love in life. And if we can’t see love, it can be difficult to show it to others. But now, more than ever, it’s vital for every one of us work hard to show more love – even when we feel awkward and scared and don’t know what to say or do.
You may have found this site in a search for answers because:
- you’re awkward with emotions but recognize you need to work on strategies to adequately and authentically show more love to others.
- you’re introverted and need to leave the house every once in a while to interact with the cold, hard world.
- the world has become a scary place to live.
- watching the news is like watching a never-ending horror story of terrible terribleness commentated upon by sometimes cruel and often fact-challenged pundits.
- social media can be a soul-sucking swamp of unlovable nastiness.
- your last umpteen visits into the world left you wondering how all these inconsiderate, pushy, self-indulgent people suddenly moved within driving distance of your Walmart.
- you’re losing faith in humanity’s ability to show any love.
- you just want to do your part to make the world a better place.
- all of the above, and you’re hiding under the covers looking for hope on the interwebs.
Guess what…?
Me too.
In my own life, I find it hard to see the light of love in the darkness and have difficulty showing that light of love even to those dearest to me. Sadly, I know my inadequacies must make others feel I’m cold-hearted and insensitive to their needs.
I believe my innate introverted-ness is the root cause of my discomfort in showing love. I don’t believe, however, that I have no control over my thoughts and actions. In fact, I think that while for some loving is a talent which requires little effort, for others (like me) it’s a skill that can be improved with conscious effort.
Practicing Love
Whether you are already skilled in the art of showing love, or you are like me and need to work on the fundamentals, I think it is important to PRACTICE love. Frankly, I think many of us are woefully out of practice. We all need to actively practice loving – ourselves, our loved ones, and even complete strangers.
I know I do. I need to consciously practice showing love to others. See, it doesn’t come naturally to me. I have to remind myself to make mindful decisions to share love with others.
I have no illusions that this practice is easy or comfortable; believe me, it isn’t. For me, and I’m sure for many of you, showing love to someone special – let alone anyone else – is difficult and uncomfortable. I do think, however, we can desensitize ourselves a bit and form habits and systems which can help us spread a bit of love and joy both individually and collectively.
The Origins of Show More Love
The seeds for Show More Love were planted in the summer of 2015 in the events surrounding the death of my father. I am so grateful NOW that I was able to tell him THEN how much I loved him. The seeds sprouted in the fertile soil of a 2016 class on finding a soul-centered, purposeful direction facilitated by the amazing Courtney Carver of Be More With Less. They took root that same summer in a Facebook post I wrote shortly after the Orlando nightclub massacre. Healthy growth continued through the 2016 election cycle, and in 2017, blossoms burst forth in spite of (perhaps because of) events in my personal life.
Finally, with the arrival of 2018, it’s bearing fruit.
It seems that love can sprout and grow even in the darkest of times.
I have come to believe that small acts of love shown to one another can make a difference in the world.
Come make that difference with me.
Show more love. Grow more love.
♥ Teresa
About Me
I’m an introverted, sometimes emotionally-awkward, highly-sensitive, INTP/J writer gal who’s trying to help myself and others live a more fulfilling life through active loving.
I started Show More Love to help us all to practice showing and growing love – to help us all fight our internal awkwardness, our busyness, our fears, whatever holds us back, and to make a conscious effort to create a force for love in the world.
I spent a multi-decade career as both a staff member and an English faculty member at the college level. Several years after being diagnosed with two life-changing chronic illnesses, I left higher education to embark on a freelance writing career. I truly enjoy writing about medical/healthcare issues and all things animal. However, my work with SML has become one of the most important parts of who I’ve become over the last year or two.
If I’m not writing, I’m hanging out with m five furry felines: Boo, Squeak, Bean, Milo, and Mac. In fact, even if I am writing, I’m hanging out with my five furry felines – usually trying to get them off the keyboard! I love music and art and science and animals and fiction and poetry and photography and . . . well that’s enough.