Day 181: Importance Of Love

In our lifetime, the greatest thing we can do and our highest calling is simple. It is to love others unconditionally. That is to love people without limit. Even those we dislike greatly, for there is a difference between liking some and loving them and we are called to love everyone as much as we love ourselves.

Love is something you do. It isn't just saying the words "I love you" even though it is incredibly important to remind the people we love that we do indeed care for them. To love someone, however, is more than just caring for them. Love is surrender and sacrifice. When we love someone we must carve out parts of ourselves and give to them. It cannot simply be the word or the feelings associated with love. Love is quite literally the giving of self.

If we are not giving something up for someone, is it truly love. Love is surrendering parts of yourself and your world because you care about someone so much slight discomfort means nothing to you. We die to ourselves when we care enough about someone to call it love. They become our priority and we place their needs above our own.

Oh how beautiful it is to love and to be loved. To know that the other person cares for you as much as you care for them, that is truly a gift worth valuing. Love is not reserved for romantic relations, we can love more than our significant other. We can love our friends, our family, and even strangers. It is so incredibly important to live out our lives in love, caring for and being devoted to others.

Love is incredibly important even for the people who offend or do not love in return. In these times it might be the hardest to love others, but it is so incredibly important to show them the purest form of love we can muster. We never truly know what another person is going through or experiencing, treating them with kindness and warmth is the least we can do.

Putting others above ourselves leads to a life that holds more joy and peace. Putting the needs of others above our own can lead to a sense of accomplishment and worth. While it is good to also spread the love to ourselves, we should not be our only fixation at all times. Love is something you do, it is giving of yourself out into the world. There is always more to give and the more you give the more you have.

We can never run our of love. While it may be painful in some circumstances, difficult in others, and maddening in some, love is the greatest thing we can ever do. So strive always to love. Yourself and especially others.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt