Joy Jot #5 Love 2.0

14 February 2024
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Have you heard of Love 2.0? In both of my coaching training courses I was introduced to this idea. What is it?

It is positivity resonance with another person. What is positivity resonance? It is “micro moments of positive connection with others”. Think about small conversations you have with a checker in a grocery story line, a fellow hiker, or a ski lift buddy. How do you feel after the interaction? Lighter? Happier?

These small moments are positivity resonance — or Love 2.0.  Barbara Fredrickson coined the term in her book titled Love 2.0. Barbara is a Professor of Psychology and researcher at the University of North Carolina who studies how these micro-moments of love and other forms of positivity nourish health and longevity.

She says we have power to create more love in our lives. One strategy she suggests is seeking out these micro moments of positivity each day:

“As your day unfolds, seek out at least three opportunities to connect with others like this, with warmth, respect, and goodwill…Wherever you are, open toward others, freely offering your attention, creating a sense of safety, through eye contact, conversation, or, when appropriate, touch. Share your own lighthearted thoughts and feelings, and stay present as the other person shares theirs. Afterward, lightly reflect on whether that interchange led you to feel the oneness of positivity resonance, even to a small degree. Creating the intention to seek out and create more micro-moments of loving connection can be another tool for elevating your health and well-being.”

Since learning about this concept a couple of years ago, I have been trying it out. I’m loving it. I’m learning random bits of advice from strangers — the best restaurants in Sun Valley, where the extreme skiers ski at Snowbasin, sci-fi book recommendations from a blood drive tech. I’m sharing my positivity with others. I’m seeing other people and they are so interesting!

How can you increase your positivity resonance?

For the good of your heart health, may you seek to share your light with others and feel theirs in return. In yoga, we end class with the word “namaste” which is a Sanskrit greeting meaning “from my heart to yours” or “the good in me honors the good in you.”

May your Valentine’s Day be filled with love.

Namaste.

Amy