Oola Life: I Give and Receive LOVE

One of the things we need most in this world is LOVE. Not only do we need to feel loved by others, we need to be sure they feel loved by us. Recently I was challenged to think more about what it means to truly love others. If you read this blog regularly you know I am reading the book, Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World. As part of the book study, I did a quiz to see which areas of my life needed more attention. (See my earlier post for quiz link) Initially, I thought my family area was one of my strongest. Chapter 5 made me re-examine this in light of the broader definition of family.

In Chapter 5, the Oola guys define family relationships using a circle metaphor. The inner part of the circle is your immediate family. For me right now, this is my parents. For you, it might be your spouse and children. These are the people who are nearest and dearest to you and you likely see them daily. The next ring is your siblings, aunts, uncles, and others who you see during the year. The outer ring is your cousins and extended family members who you see occasionally at weddings or family reunions. The intensity of your feelings lessens as you move away from the center of the circle. However, the Oola guys caution us to be sure that all of our family relationships are loving and that we have forgiven any past hurts. Don't think because you only see someone occasionally that you can let that relationship become toxic because one toxic relationship can poison all your family relationships. Now the challenge for me is that I have become neglectful of those in my outer rings. (Sorry cousins) So, to grow in the Oola area of family, I need to commit time to these relationships.

Well, that's enough for now. Until next time, consider your own family relationships. Do you give love, receive love and forgive others to ensure that your family life continues to grow?