Day 56: Clare Discovering Love in asking for help

There is nothing like a brisk early morning walk to clear away all the cobwebs and set positive intentions for a new day ahead and in my case Day 56 of Discovering Love in 365 days.

I am now sat at a table typing this with a large mug of coffee totally inspired by the little tracker that reads 2667 at the top left corner indicating how many hits we have had since March 26th. I wonder how quickly it will grow so that it is 2667 per day?!?! Perhaps eventually 2667 per hour! :)

I am confident we have shared with you why we are doing this and what Discovering Love in 365 Days is all about. It’s a journey of courage using the power of love, a daily story discovering love about everyday life, a daily adventure of discovering or rediscovering an experience, a daily deepening of understanding about self and others around the world. And I LOVE the creative freedom and power of connection this is bringing about. The picture is taken of a wonderful collection of little 'I love you' cards and this one was titled "Love is priceless" :)


See below and click read more to continue reading this post.

During a wonderful and enlightening conversation with friends fueled by discussing ‘Discovering Love’, a dear friend brought up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with the largest and lowest levels of needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top, also the needs for people. As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority. Like Carl Rogers, Maslow emphasized the importance of self-actualization, which is a process of growing and developing as a person to achieve individual potential. “What a man can be, he must be. This forms the basis of the perceived need for self-actualization. This level of need pertains to what a person's full potential is and realizing that potential. Maslow describes this desire as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. This is a broad definition of the need for self-actualization, but when applied to individuals the need is specific. For example one individual may have the strong desire to become an ideal parent, in another it may be expressed athletically, and in another it may be expressed in painting, pictures, or inventions. In order to reach a clear understanding of this level of need one must achieve the previous needs, physiological, safety, love and esteem.” 

I have a strong desire to connect and help others as well as many other things I am discovering during this adventure such as creative writing. I am a work in progress! I have shared with you that one of my favorite quotes which a friend shared with me is “When the student is ready, the teacher appears” Well I consider myself the student and you my teachers. 

During the last 55 Days I have trusted in this process, embraced change positively, peeled back layers on myself, begun to tap into my spiritual side and have opened my eyes to the endless possibilities and choices surrounding me! It’s like I have put on a pair of glasses for the first time having been told by an optician I have been short sighted for years! 

So with my new pair of glasses firmly on I am seeing everyday life in a whole new way and the picture is BIG! I have already taken a spontaneous vacation with friends to Puerto Rico, flown off for a mini getaway with another friend and explored The Getty, embraced tasting menus so I could experience the Chef’s true essence, thrown away the dark cloths, opened my heart to Yoga, begun reading everything I see that sparks interest surrounding my personal happiness project, taken a ballroom dance class, ice climbed up a frozen waterfall, returned to Vista Caballo to work with the horses, retraced scenic byways to re-connect with friends, accepted invitations to spend many a night at friends homes of which I have never been inside until now, and have been in London the last couple of weeks spending quality time with my Mother, Brother and family, 

but NOW what, what next?!

I am on this adventure to work on myself more, love myself more and discover more things I desire to become. It’s a pretty huge challenge showing up everyday for 365 days so I would welcome your input, ideas and suggestions. Please feel free to post comments on yoga or spiritual retreats, intriguing & dynamic seminars, creative workshops, places of interest that genuinely leave a mark, festivals, culinary delights, extraordinary travel experiences, you name it - I am adventure ready! Experiential learning is all about discovering experiences firsthand and that is my commitment to myself during Discovering Love in 365 Days, but I need a support system and network.

In essence we have created this to become a global online forum of experiential learning that connects us daily with each other in order to share places, cultures and experiences we have found in discovering love of self and life. This is a journey we are taking with you and you don’t even have to become a follower to comment daily on either of our posts.

Maggie & I are passionately committed to making a financial contribution and paying it forward at the end of 365 days, based on all the online comments and mailed pieces we receive during this journey. As you know we will then unveil them all in an Art Exhibit titled “The Power of The Written Word”. Please help us to make this extraordinary and empowering for many!

I am here ready, willing and waiting to be inspired and given an idea or experience to try that you have found during your own discovery of love. And for those of you on a journey similar to mine, perhaps we can all meet up somewhere this summer?!?! I am personally determined to re-visit Zanzibar, take my first trip to India, return to Vista Caballo again in six months and attend my dear friend Jill Lawson’s Yoga & Surfing Retreat which she is doing in November. Hopefully I can do many more trips too! Where do you fancy exploring or returning to?

Much love

Clare

How did you discover love today?
We welcome your comments here or on line at discoveringlovein365days@hotmail.com
and/or by mail to;
Discovering Love in 365 Days, PO Box 4937, Louisville, KY 40204-4937.
Clare and Maggie look forward to communicating with you soon.