Love is the energy that flows from your heart through expressions of kindness. It guides the way you interact with others, the way you show up in the world and the way you foster and maintain good health. It is the energy you bring to the path each day.

We are all leaders of love. 

I realized my role as a leader of love when my children were born and I was given the responsibility to model love for them. I was ready and loving; however, there was work to be done! Every day, I had to actively show up to demonstrate how humans express love through speech (kind words), touch (hugs and kisses), patience (listening), service (helping others), and generosity (sharing gifts of time and grace). As my kids grew, our love practice evolved and our ability to express love became stronger. We practiced being loving the same way we practiced soccer, reading and writing.

When they went to school, my kids encountered situations on the playground that tested their ability to be loving. They faced disagreements over rules as well as differences in opinions and personalities. During this time, my job as their leader of love required extra effort! One of the best pieces of parenting advice that I received from my friend and fellow love leader, Angela, was to encourage my kids to be friendly. She said, “help your kids understand that you don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you should always be friendly”.

I received this message with gratitude and immediately began modelling the behaviour for my children. I focused on being friendly in my “playgrounds” (in my interactions with others). I didn’t avoid conflict or confrontation. Rather, I approached every situation from the heart – with care and consideration. Soon after, I realized that the same kindness philosophy that Angela shared with me can be applied to our love practice as well: “You don’t have to love everything about everyone, but you should always be loving.”

Love takes time and effort.

Our responsibility as leaders of love is big. Love is our contribution to peace. So, let’s keep practicing love in our homes, schools and workplaces. Let’s make love a priority on the path. Here are some practice tips to keep you actively loving in your daily life:

• Become aware of your words and actions. Choose to be kind and respectful with yourself and others. My favourite book about love is the children’s book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. For love leaders of all ages.
• Keep competition out of love. Channel your competitive energy in games, on the field, or in an environment where winning is the goal. Your loving energy needs to flow through conversations and experiences where feelings are at play and connection is possible.
• Get to know your emotional self. I recommend Brené Brown’s new book, Atlas of the Heart, as a guide to understanding emotions in the context of our human experiences and interactions.
• Become aware of your habits and routines. Align your habits with becoming more loving toward yourself and others. I recommend James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, for effective strategies that will support your practice.
• Reinforce the message. Set up gentle reminders to help you stay on track. Post words of affirmation on your desk, mirror, screen saver, sweatshirt, social media, the more places the better!
• Practice emotional agility with your kids and help them to focus on emotions and experiences that foster love. My children’s book, Your Heart Compass, offers a fun way to tune into your loving heart through joy, kindness, courage, and calm.

Please remember that you were born to create and contribute love. Keep creating love and sharing it with the world. This is the journey to peace and connection.

Next time, we’ll explore integrity on the path to authenticity.

Let’s journey together.

Our community is rooted in love and we love creative expression. Please feel free to share your creative expressions with us here and on Instagram #yourheartjourney | @meganlammam

With love,