260 | Feeling Lonely & Overwhelmed? How To Feel Loved By Giving It Away, Mama

Why the love you give away is the only love you keep, and how to model kindness for your kids, even with people who see the world differently.

Do you feel lonely, empty, or disconnected in the middle of the overwhelm of motherhood? In this episode, Danielle shares a message that has been on her heart: the power of love and kindness, and why we need it now more than ever as moms. Drawing on quotes from Victor Hugo, Katharine Hepburn, and Elbert Hubbard, she explains why you can't be truly happy unless you feel loved, whether that love comes from God, from yourself, or from others. She also talks about what happens when we only seek out people who validate our beliefs, and why our kids are watching how we treat people who think differently than we do. This is a gentle but honest look at loving others without losing yourself, and at how giving love freely is what opens the door to receiving it.

What You'll Learn

Why you can't be truly happy unless you feel loved, and how loving yourself begins with knowing what love is

How our need for validation and "my way or the highway" thinking leaves us feeling alone and divided

How to show love, kindness, and respect to someone who disagrees with you without letting them walk all over you

Why "outflow equals inflow" and what it means that the love we give away is the only love we keep

How to soften your heart so you can receive the love that is already available to you

Why kids model what they see, and how to teach them kindness by living it

This week's challenge: show love or kindness to someone you wouldn't normally feel inclined to, or model it for your child

If you've been feeling empty, scattered, or low on love, the answer may not be finding more of it, but giving it away. Love and kindness don't mean accepting mistreatment or giving up your boundaries. They mean respecting people as humans, standing up for yourself, and choosing not to be ugly back. When you extend love freely, you teach your children what it looks like, and you open your own heart to feel it again.

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