What with Valentine’s Day having just passed, I wanted to share a little something with you that I found endearing! A bride-to-be was complaining to her wedding planner that her groom’s mother and sisters didn’t seem to like her. She was concerned that they wouldn’t welcome her into the family as they hadn’t seemed to take a shine to her.
The wedding planner offered this bride-to-be a lovely piece of advice: in order to be loved, you have to be lovable.
So instead of sitting on the sidelines, thinking poor me, this bride-to-be had the opportunity to do something about her concerns. And I think each of us has the opportunity to put ourselves in that place. There will sometimes be people in our lives who, for reasons unknown to us, don’t like us or value us as others do. But instead of letting it robs us of our joy, let’s use it as a reminder to be sure that we are lovable! That we are worth spending time with, getting to know, working with and enjoying!
How to be Lovable
To be lovable is defined as being amiable or endearing.
Now keep in mind, seeking to be lovable isn’t referring to a romantic relationship. You can be amiable and endearing in all of your relationships and depending on how personal a relationship is, you can either be more or less amiable and endearing.
I think it is so important for women to be lovable. Woman who are lovable are more attractive. They are graceful and kind. Enthusiastic and excited with where they are – and they bring that enthusiasm with them wherever they go! It’s contagious and inspiring!
When you are lovable, you are comfortable and confident with who you are. You are eager to share your story, your vision, with others. In turn you delight in listening to others too! You pay close attention to their words and what they share!
But learning to be lovable doesn’t happen by itself. I believe there is an art to developing it and you have to constantly fine tune it. A lifelong effort, but oh so worth it! The joy and value you can bring yourself and others is remarkable!
Where to Begin
So where do you begin? By beginning somewhere.
I recommend examining your attitude toward your everyday life. Pay attention to the little voice inside of you. Listen to how you react to others. Is this in a lovable manner? I learned a fascinating trick a while back and it was this: you don’t have to complete every thought you have. This is like a gold mine for me! Whenever I start to have a less than stellar reactive thought, I do my best to interrupt that thought knowing that it isn’t lovely or remarkable. This has truly been instrumental in helping me let go of roadblocks that I have faced in the past!
Another area to work would be to consider what your attitude towards yourself is. The commandment says to Love Your Neighbor as You Love Yourself – so tell me, do you love yourself? I think it can be far easier to love others and overlook their faults and want to be friends with them, then do so for myself. But when I consider that I should love others based on how I love myself, I am forced to take a step back and consider myself with more value! And I love that! It’s good to like yourself! It is good to be a friend to yourself! Find yourself endearing! Rejoice in who God created you to be!
Appreciating others will help you to be more lovable. We all have traits and tendencies that are uniquely our own. Learn to admire and value them in others. When we allow others to more fully be themselves we are encouraging them to more confidently pursue their life path. Look for endearing traits and appreciate them. Some people are chock-full of lovable traits while others may not have any that are immediately obvious. But part of being lovable is knowing how to love others well. So be sure to keep your eyes open for endearing traits in those around you!
The Rest of the Story
As I finish this post, I also want to finish telling the story that I began telling in the beginning. The wedding planner heard from the bride a few weeks after the wedding. The bride wanted to say thank you, the wedding planner was completely right. She had been holding back, not fully being her most lovely self, but that after the wedding planner’s encouragement she had seen a real change. She acted more amiably towards her future-in-laws and they in turn eagerly welcomed her into their family. A lovely relationship transpired and all because of a piece of advice from a wedding planner!
Isn’t that such a sweet story?! It certainly makes me want to be more lovable and amiable!
What’s a piece of advice or a story that has inspired you recently? I’d love it if you would share!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. If you would enjoy reading a love story, I’d highly recommend this one: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2017/09/06/a-love-story/