When there is love in your heart, you truly are not thinking about yourself. That is what love is. You have tenderness for a seeming another. You can't think two thoughts in your head at one time. When you are thinking of another, by necessity, you aren't thinking of yourself.
This is a very good thing, don't you think, to have another uppermost in your mind and heart? Everyone on Earth longs for this. You long for someone else to love with all your heart and to think about. How wonderful even to tend another's garden. How wonderful to think of someone else rather than yourself.
It gets a little wearing, doesn't it, to always be thinking of yourself? What you want for breakfast, and what life didn't give to you that you are sure it should have given. What, what, what.
When you love and have thoughts for another's happiness, you are coming from fullness. When thoughts of yourself are uppermost in your mind, odds are you are coming from a presumption of lack, a presumption of being short-changed. Trade in such thoughts for fullness. Loving yourself and thinking about yourself get to be self-propagating and draining. Yes, My children need a change in focus every now and then or often.
This is a virtue of work as well. It takes your mind off yourself. And if you love your work, you are a king in the world, blessed more than twice.
And this is the virtue of having children. They expand your world. This is on the agenda of life, for the children to be born, and the children to raise you.
So, beloveds, instead of thinking about what you are missing, haven't had, should have had etc., think of what would give happiness to another. Even when there are those you don't feel great love for, what could you do that would lift their happiness level?
You are a lever. A lever works in every situation. Levers don't have specialties. Levers lift up. They get underneath and lift up. A lever is not a plier, for pliers grasp and hold on. This is why I say you are a lever. You are also a lover, beloveds. You are one who loves. Love abundantly. Love in every situation. The more you love, the more you love. Try it.
Pretend you are in a fairy tale, and I am the King whose daughter you want to marry. I tell you that the first thing you see, you must give love to. If you see a gate, a dog, a beggar, a street cleaner, or a princess, whichever comes first, you are to give love to. Let love with your heart rise to your eyes, beloveds. Acknowledge to yourself the love you have for a gate whatever its appearance may be. And the same for the dog, beggar, street cleaner, and princess. Maybe you can shine love on all five. Why not? You may be particular, but love is all-embracing.
Maybe you can appreciate the ground under your feet that carries you to your beloved. Maybe you can appreciate the taxi driver. Maybe you can appreciate your shoes. Maybe you can appreciate even the stranger who bumps into you in his hurry to meet his wife.
What is love but appreciation, beloveds? What is love but gratitude for the opportunity to love? Love is mighty. Love makes the object of love mighty. Love makes others the kings or queens. Love makes happiness for all in its vicinity, and for all not in its vicinity.
Love is noticing what is, beloveds, and love is, and love is all.