Just for kicks; we did a little Google search as we were writing this article. We searched the phrase "Flu Bug" - In .18 seconds, we received 1,430,000 hits! There were all kinds-Even "Flu Bugs of the Zodiac" which provided information about how each of the zodiac signs handles the flu! But guess what? When we googled the phrase "Love Bug," we got 30,700,000 hits in .15 seconds! The obvious favorite! Unfortunately, a lot of those hits had to do with the bugs, not the emotion! And the phrase "Love Bug of Truth" got zero!! (Until we get this article on our blog!)



The Love Bug of Truth is the one bug we HOPE to catch and spread to others! And just as that pesky flu bug has a list of symptoms, guess what? The Love Bug of Truth has THREE symptoms as well! Your adventure this week is to see how many of these symptoms you feel and how you can keep those symptoms flowing! They will be simple to remember just think of the word BUG!

B=BELIEF:

When you are bitten by the Love Bug of Truth, you experience a strengthening of Belief. Belief is the difference between living life in HOPE of something, and KNOWING that you know that you know. Belief actually affects your sense of inner peace. When you know Truth, from the depths of your being, you can relax through any situation.

Example: There is an interesting observation we've made in the field of professional speaking, which we've done since 1984. It is a cyclical business No matter how fabulous you might be, the speaking business has definite ups and downs, and fairly predictable cycles. When you're just starting out, and experience a down time, you panic, worry, and run around trying to make things happen. Regardless of what anyone tells you, you think the world is coming to an end, you're finished, and you'll have to actually go back and take on a "real job!" Once you've been around that block a few times, you recognize the cycle, and you live from that knowing that you don't need to panic. Instead, you use that adown time to rest, take care of yourself, and work on new material or marketing tactics. Then, when the up cycle returns, you can enter it refreshed and ready to dazzle with your new stuff. Meanwhile, the newbie returns to the up market exhausted from all the needless worry! Those who don't learn and know won't make it in the business!

The same principle is valid in our Spiritual life. When you hit a drought in your prosperity flow, or experience challenges with health, career, relationships, whatever Make BELIEF your foundation, and don't allow yourself to fall into doubting the Principles. Instead of doubting principles, this is when you get busy USING them!

When you feel yourself facing a challenge from that place of BELIEF, you can be sure you've been bitten by the Love Bug of Truth!

U=UNDERSTANDING:

When you are bitten by the Love Bug of Truth, you sense an "inner click" of Understanding. Understanding is the difference between doing something because someone said you should be doing it, and doing it because you "get it!" It is that A-ha that hits you when you break through a Truth barrier.

Here's a metaphor to help explain what we mean. We saw it as we watched our grandson playing with one of his toys. It is this big block that has shapes cut into it. There are a lot of plastic blocks cut into the same shapes, and our grandson is supposed to figure out how to drop the right shape into the hole of the same shape. And every now and then, by accident, he hit it right - and it's exciting! But the really cool moment came when he realized how he did it and was able to replicate it over and over! It's that a-ha!

Think about the practices we have as we live our Truth principles. How many times do we do stuff because someone said we should for example affirmations? We question: "Am I saying it right? Did I use the right words? Is there enough energy behind it?" But when our affirmations are grounded in Truth, we understand that they always work! We UNDERSTAND that things don't become true because we affirm them We affirm them because they are Truth!

When you feel that inner click that says "I get it!" that click of Understanding, you can be sure you've been bitten by the Love Bug of Truth!

G=GRATITUDE:

When you are bitten by the Love Bug of Truth, you live life from an attitude of Gratitude. Living in Gratitude is the difference between allowing outer circumstances to determine our emotional state and choosing to live from a place of gratitude no matter what is going on.

For example: How many people do you know who gripe about how their vacations were ruined because of the weather? Personally, we have this one pretty well down! A long time ago, we started making a conscious decision to claim and set the intention that weather would never affect our enjoyment with our vacations! Now this doesn't mean it will never rain or ice or snow on a vacation time. What it means is that we will not allow our emotional well-being be dependent on weather. And we have enjoyed every single vacation we've ever had, in spite of the weather we've experienced!

So remember, Gratitude is an attitude, not an event! We develop it by choice. This week, when you wake up in the morning, just take a moment to say "I greet this day with gratitude and joy!" Throughout the day, if you happen to find yourself dreading something you need to do, pause a moment and say, "I am God in action! I do what I need to do with gratitude and joy! In all things, I give thanks!"

When you feel yourself facing a challenge from a deep place of Belief, when you feel that inner click of Understanding, and when you realize you are living every moment of every day from an attitude of Gratitude, you are experiencing the BUG symptoms - and you can be positive you've been bitten by the Love Bug of Truth! Pass it on!