Just Let Yourself Be Loved!

I’m coming off an epic birthday week, and if you’ve been with me for awhile, you might remember my Build Your Own Birthday blog post from last year.  

I’m all-in on crafting your own celebrations that are uniquely YOU… rather than waiting on someone else to make your special days special.  

This year, my birthday began with a little pile of gifts from my family, then I enjoyed a spa day with friends, an overnight trip to Galveston with a bestie, a Miller Outdoor Theater production, yoga and lunch with another beautiful friend, and the party will continue in my hometown of Lafayette this weekend!  (I’m headed there for a wedding, but I’ll have some time to love on my family, which is my favorite!) I'll return to another sleepover with some of my favorite ladies at the lake... and there are a couple more birthday lunches in the coming weeks! 

I know this is a lot!  I didn't plan all of it... but it is so ME... doing it ALL!

Down in Galveston, my girlfriend just kept paying for everything.  When I protested, she quoted a little passage in a newsletter that she'd just read… “Just let yourself be loved.” 

How does that feel to you?  

I’m REALLY good at loving other people. 

I’m a giver. 

I’m still learning how to be a good receiver. 

In fact, my friends know that I don’t want any gifts… and they just keep giving anyway.  

My ‘no gifts’ policy began in an effort to reduce my consumption and millennial-minimize my life. 

I have to admit, though, that all the little love I see around my house fills me with a lot of joy. 

I do think of the giver each time I notice the gift. 

Just let yourself be loved. 

That’s kind of uncomfortable, isn’t it? 

We all want SO MUCH to be loved… but when it comes… we wave our hands at it… “No, no, no… you take it.” 

What would it be like if we all got really good at being loved? 

What if we could give and receive with reckless abandon? 

Here’s a chance to “Be like the little children” and throw our arms wide open or reach joyfully for the embrace, the treat, the gift. 

Sometimes, even the really good stuff is hard to accept. 

What is that all about?  

Why in the world is it hard to “Just let yourself be loved?” 

Does it feel like you're being too much?  

Must you feign embarrassment in order to make it more acceptable?  

There are so many ways we hold ourselves back from the simple joys and pleasures right in front of us. 

Here’s why: 

The best indicator of how much you love yourself isn’t how easy it is for you to love others… it’s how easy it is for you to let yourself be loved. 

“Thank you so much for this!  I LOVE it!  You are incredible.  You just made my day.  What a light you are in this world.  I love you.  Thank you.  I am so grateful for you and I just love that you thought of me and brought me this little slice of love!” 

How hard was that? 

Love you, Sunshine!