If you can't do it with Love,

why do it at all?

This manifesto by Mark Sanborn on the ChangeThis website made me cry.  It's entitled The Four-Letter Word That Makes You and Your Work Irresistible, but its message extends far beyond the workplace.  It could just as easily have been called The Nine Greatest Gifts You Can Offer Yourself and Others.

What does love look like when it shows up for work?  If you pay attention, you'll notice it more often than you think.

To begin, we must reorient our conventional understanding of the term love, defining it as finding a deep-seated passion for what we do, the people we do it with, and the people we do it for.

Mark emphasizes that for love to make any difference, it needs to be demonstrated and not simply felt, it needs to be both attitude and action.  He uses the acronym P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E-S as a framework by which we can infuse the "irresistible ingredient" into our worklife and beyond, regardless of what work we do.  Click here to access the full discussion; here's what stood out for me:

Patience - Love is choosing to accept people where they are, not where we want them to be, being willing to set our own expectations aside.

Recognition - Love is paying attention.  Ralph Waldo Emerson says:  "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be."

Appreciation - People need to know that they matter, to hear genuine appreciation for who they are and what they do.  But don't just think it - say it.

Counsel - Love is offering wise and insightful advice - thoughtfully telling people what they need to hear rather than what you think they want to hear.

Time - One of the most powerful love practices is making time to be fully present with another person.  Take the time.  It's one of the greatest gifts you can offer.

Instruction - Love is teaching someone else with gentleness, discernment and selflessness.  The most effective teachers walk alongside their students as they learn, appreciating their accomplishments rather than emphasizing their shortcomings.

Compassion - We are all broken, hurting, wounded people.  Acknowledging our weaknesses, mourning our losses and comforting each other through difficult times will strengthen our relationships like nothing else can.

Encouragement - We all need someone to cheer us on from the sidelines of our lives.  Notice when others do well, and hold them up when they fail.

Service - Love is serving others without expecting anything in return.  When we love what we do and pay attention to the people we serve, our actions flow naturally.

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I am so grateful to the people in my life who have offered me these gifts and continue to offer them.  I hope you know who you are, and that I love you.
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