What Does Love Mean To You?

What does the word love mean for you?

Maybe it evokes the typical red heart, cupid arrow shooting character Valentine’s Day like rituals we have been taught by Hollywood and corporate business to associate with the word. But is this really what love means for you? Think more of your partner, your best friend, family and pets. Now think about the love for them you hold.

If you are blessed to have children, think of that love, that moment when your life changed and all the words that were made to express love suddenly could not describe that feeling you now have toward another person. Don’t get me wrong, often we dislike the behaviours of our children, sometimes wishing we could do a Harry Potter and put them in the cupboard for a while, but we never stop loving them. These relationships are the focus of unconditional love.

Sure, once again, maybe you wish the cat did not decide to choose 3am to sing its kitty song and run around the house like it’s on fire, or that your partner would pick up the wet towels from the floor or put the toilet seat down or stop buying new shoes. Again, these are dislikes for particular behaviours, not things that even make a drop in the ocean when it comes to the love you share And to be honest, even though we have our little whinge about the things we don’t like about our loved ones, we know this is what makes them who they are and part of what makes us love them.

There are some of us who seem to be on the endless journey to find love and bring it into our lives, but keep never finding what we seek. Once you can love yourself and know your importance and significance in this universe, you will attract love from others to you.

The day you wake up and can look yourself in the mirror and smile and be at peace with who you are and what makes you tick, the love will start to pour in. Like attracts like – once your heart opens to love for yourself others will be drawn to you like a magnet.

How easy we bestow love upon things in life that maybe for the moment seem to deserve love, but in essence, we only really just like a lot for that instant.  “I love this song.” When you are dancing drunk at the club, “I love that car” when your dream Ferrari drives by, these are both things that we really like and heap upon them the label of love with little thought of the real meaning. Now if that song was the one you truly are moved by, listen to hundreds of times across your life to get you through those emotional moments – either happy or sad – then maybe the answer is that you truly do love that song. And if you are lucky enough to have that Ferrari parked in your garage, then it is probably true you do love that car, not only for its own value, but for the hard work and sacrifice to be able to own it.

Love is not always the Hollywood happy ending with roses, chocolates and happily ever after. There are days when love is tough, when you question your ability to continue loving in a negative situation. Sometimes love will change and as people move into different parts of life, so may the love they share, sometimes filled with passion and other times just a gentle trickle of joy that lights up every day. It is when that light goes out that you  then need to seriously question your part in the love relationship. By this time, love has been fleeting and it is time to let go. Never should you hold to a relationship if you have lost yourself, your individual identity and have lost the spark that makes you love who you are. So for today, think about what you are showing to the world. The love you radiate and express to others.  And what you receive in return.  

So next time you use the L word, have a think about the true meaning behind it. Pause to be grateful

For the things that you have in life that you truly love, and the source of true love within yourself.