Love. I Love You.
Love, as a word, is memorialized in countless books, movies, poems and musical compositions. While there are many definitions of love, its essence, when used as a verb, can be captured in a few phrases: to care for, to cherish, to respect, to honor, to show an interest in, to value, or to treat with kindness.
For some people, love is the feeling you have when you care for someone; for others, its endearing thoughts about the person who is the object of their affection; and still for others, it’s simply saying the words “I love you.” However, love goes beyond the words, the feelings, and the thoughts to the very expression behind the words.
Love is more about how you act than what you say.
Think about it; how often have you said something with your words, but your attitude, facial expression, and behavior said something totally different? How often has someone said kind words to you, but their behavior indicated something entirely different? Love is demonstrated through action, when you love someone, you treat them in a way that shows you care for them, cherish them, respect them, and honor them.
So what gets in the way of love?
Old emotional baggage is what gets in the way of love 99 percent of the time. It can come in the form of anger and fear, just to name a few.
Have you ever been mad at someone and allowed that anger to last for years? I bet you have. Think about someone you aren’t speaking to today and go back to how long it’s been. We’re not counting bumping into the person in the street, business meetings, or family events; we’re talking about really having him or her in your life. I bet it’s been a long time, longer than you’d like to admit. Do you remember why you stopped talking? Or how the disagreement even started? Some of you are probably saying “But it was their fault.” Or “They stopped talking to me first.” Perhaps you are right, but you have helped to keep the resentment going. How willing are you to make the world a better place by living love, not just talking about it?
Loving Yourself.
Letting go of anger is a choice we are free to make. But before we let go, we need to understand why we choose to hold on. For one thing, holding on to anger is easy. It takes work to move through a conflict and see another person’s side, more than most of us want to put out.
What can you do right now, this moment, to move you closer to loving yourself or someone in your life? What one action are you willing to take right now?
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