Warmth and Compassion with WarmLightXO
It’s time for another interview! Please enjoy @Fristo interviewing me, @WarmLightXO , about warmth and light :)
Here is a wonderful human being, sharing how they perceive life and their cups journey so far.
Generally speaking, what do you think life is for?
I think life is for love. I'm religious, so that's part of it for me, but in general I think love is what makes life worth living.
More specifically,
I think life is for connection, for growth, for warmth, and for community.
As humans we have this innate drive to care for and love one another, and honoring that plays a large part in our wellbeing. Offering that same love to ourselves is a total game changer for the good <3
You recently turned 18. In your life so far, what valuable lessons have you learned that will show you light in your life’s path to follow?
Most people are really happy to help if you just ask.
Some love is temporary, that doesn't make it less important.
Someone not loving me doesn't mean I'm not lovable.
Grief is forever but it isn't for always.
I am not complete but that doesn't mean I'm not good.
I am worth taking care of.
Where do you see yourself one year from now?
A year from now, I will have finished my first year of college. I see myself continuing to work to put myself through school, and continuing to grow with my Cups family. A year is a short amount of time, but I plan to use it the best I can.
How did 7 cups happen for you?
When I was 13, I was in a very bad place. I remember frantically googling things like "someone help me," and "I feel so alone." At some point, 7Cups popped up. I chatted with a very kind listener, felt better, and closed the site.
This past year, I was talking to a friend about how I tend to get so stuck in my own head. They asked me if I'd ever considered volunteering, and 7Cups popped back into my brain. I signed up as a listener on impulse, and now here we are!
What is your role at 7 cups? In other words, in what ways do you contribute to the progress of the 7 cups ecosystem?
I contribute to our communities through mentoring, (I’m an Academy Mentor and a Quality Mentor) and heading the Living with Leaders Project. I’m an anonymous evaluator, script writer, discussion host, and moderator. In short, I’m mostly active in chatrooms and in listener DMs :)
In your present life, on and off cups, what things totally deserve your energy?
Things that deserve my energy make me feel purposeful and whole.
My younger siblings.
My mentees.
My flower garden.
My best companion Shiloh.
Painting and embroidering.
School.
Hosting discussions.
Therapy.
Write a message to show gratitude for all the good things in your life, including the gratitude you feel for the cups community.
Oh gosh, I don't know where to start! I have been incredibly blessed. I've been fortunate enough to face struggles and learn to cope from a young age, I'm beyond grateful for that. Our 7Cups community has massively changed my life for the better, and I'm grateful for all the amazing people I've come to know and the fulfilling opportunities I've been granted.
I'm grateful for the natural beauty in our world that reminds me my heart is beating when I get too busy to remember.
A nd I'm grateful for pasta. Always pasta.
[Taglist: @Dallady @HealingTalk @MyNameIsNicole @SkylarListens @ThoughtfulBlossom @WarmLightXO @Zarram77 ]
@WarmLightXO Wait, you're only 18!? You seem so much older! I love your energy and how you portray yourself that I never imagine you were that young. Thanks for all you put into our community!💜
@fruityPond7887
Hahaha thank you, I actually just turned 18 :o
I get that a lot though, it makes me laugh. In person people get confused because I do carry myself like I'm much older (and have a music taste mostly from the 90s lol) but I have a babyface XD
Thank you for making me smile :) I hope you're doing well and you enjoyed the interview! <3
@WarmLightXO You're amazing and the world is lucky to have you here! I have a babyface too so I do understand 😝 The interview was great! Thank you for taking the time to share! 💖
@WarmLightXO you are really nice Elliot I think help lot of people here and your never mean to me even if I don’t understand everything and I want to do question thing again in chatroom but I miss them all the time it’s fun to do that though
@theboymoana
We're doing one next Sunday at 10pm EST! I hope you'll come <3 We always have so much fun :)
@WarmLightXO Wow! So correct! I think life is for love, but then I feel unloved and unwanted. The valuable lessons you've learnt are amazing, too. Things that deserve your energy, so many wonderful things! They remind me of the things that deserve my energy. I feel better after reading this post. Is it okay if I bookmark this post so I can come back to it when I'm feeling bad?
@exuberantBlackberry9105
Absolutely bookmark it, I'd be honored! I'm so glad you enjoyed 💚💛 I hope you'll consider joining our taglist so you can see these interviews weekly!
I understand feeling unloved, I hope you're able to understand that it is a feeling and not a reality. You're always loved here 😊 And you can always give yourself the love that you feel you're lacking.
Sending much warmth! 💚🌻
@WarmLightXO Oh, thank you for letting me bookmark it! Um... I'm new here so I don't understand what a taglist is.
Feeling unloved might just be a feeling, but I do love myself! But I feel I'm the only person who loves me, and the only person I love is myself. "And you can always give yourself the love that you feel you're lacking." I didn't get what that means. Can you please explain?
@exuberantBlackberry9105
You can see the taglist at the bottom of the post, and by joining the taglist, you get alerted every time a new interview in this series is posted! I'm the leader of the series and I host each Sunday 😊 You can find the instructions to join the list here, absolutely no pressure! Just wanted to let you know of the option 😛
I'm glad to hear that you love yourself, that's a really valuable thing to carry through life. I understand feeling as if you're the only one you love too- and that's alright. I'd be happy to explain what I meant 💚
When I say "give yourself the love that you feel you're lacking," I am referring to our psychological need for acceptance and support. Sometimes, when those needs aren't being met by the people around us, we manipulate others or our situations to try and force these things. Examples might be lying about your situation so that people feel sorry for you and give you attention, or pretending to be cis instead of trans to feel accepted.
These aren't evil things in of themselves- just unhealthy ways to meet unmet needs.
You mentioned feeling unloved and unwanted at times, and I was suggesting asking yourself, "What would make me feel loved and wanted?" and practicing giving it to yourself 💚 We can't always rely on others for these things (although it's amazing to have reliable support systems that we trust!) and offering yourself that love and attention can be really healing. Of course, it's definitely not always that easy or simple, I know.
I hope that made sense, we can defintely talk about it more in DMs if you're interested or if I'm too convoluted 😛
Now I really am going to sleep hehe
@WarmLightXO Oh, thank you! I think we can have a 1-to-1 chat later.
Most people are really happy to help if you just ask.
Some love is temporary, that doesn't make it less important.
Someone not loving me doesn't mean I'm not lovable.
Grief is forever but it isn't for always.
I am not complete but that doesn't mean I'm not good.
-
I am worth taking care of.
What a great impression one can have about themselves...I couldn't believe you are just turned 18...
Kudos to you dear! Stay blessed.
@Fristo so nice of you to take out time for this interview, thank you❤️
@WarmLightXO such a brilliant way of giving us a glimpse into who you are as a person. I find that the way you take life, acknowledging the good and the bad, is admirable because truly in life there will be good and be bad.
Thank you once again, for who you are and for how you help our community💛
@Fristo Thank you so much for doing this interview. Happy to see you in the forums again!
@WarmLightXO
Hello to my Walking Talking Encyclopedia 😂 You are like Google to me, a very helpful person you will find on 7 Cups. Thank you for all that you do for this community and us. We truly appreciate all that you do, Elliot🤗. I know you must be getting this a lot right now, but you're just 18?! and here I was, thinking you must be in your twenties💀 You surely do carry yourself like you're older 👏.
@MilaAvery
Haha thanks Mila, best compliment ever. I do enjoy being an encyclopedia 😛
I am indeed 18, just recently turned 18! A lot of people think I'm older hehe so it's not just you.
I'm glad you enjoyed the interview!
*wonders if I should reply 3 times*
@WarmLightXO nicole to the rescue❤️
@WarmLightXO
@Fristo
Hi Fristo! 😊❤️ Thank you for once again conducting an amazing living with leaders interview series! As you know, I am a true fan of yours and always enjoy your incredibly well thought out questions! I love this program that you have started and it gives us all an opportunity to get to know our teammates even better! *high fives* 😊 and big *hugs* ❤️
Hi Elliot! 😊❤️ Thank you so very much for this forum post as well as handing yourself over to the interview process! I loved your incredibly well thought out responses! Thank you for allowing all of us the opportunity to get to know you even better.
What really resonated with me is your approach to life as well as your time here on 7 cups! I loved hearing your views and seeing in front of me how love, religion, spirituality and your service driven leadership go hand in hand for you! I am part of your *tribe* ❤️
The majority of the worlds biggest religions boil down to one simple tenant "love one another". We are all much more alike than we are different in my opinion. We are a very wide and diverse community and this is what makes us great! I call it "unity in diversity". 😊❤️
For me, love is the one thing in life, that the more of it you give away, the more you receive in return. Our founder, GlenM's grandmother said it even better "Love always comes back to you". ❤️
*high fives* 😊 and big *hugs* ❤️ (as an aside, I like pasta too!)
@SparkyGizmo
"Unity in diversity," love that! I agree completely, our humanity is what connects us and our diversity only serves to make us stronger. It took me hours to answer that initial question, (starting off strong there Fristo 😅) but I'm very happy with the answer that life is for love 💚
@WarmLightXO
❤️❤️❤️