"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."
- Mahatma Gandhi
When it comes to the people closest to us, there are many different types of love, be it romantic, platonic or unconditional. We hold a special place in our heart for the ones we love. The Greeks actually had eight different classifications for love, including universal love (agape) and self-love (philautia). If we are doing life right, I feel we experience all the different healthy variations of love during our lifetime. Moreover, if we are really doing it right, I feel we should continuously be expressing the love we feel for others, ourselves and life in general.
I have to admit, I sometimes struggle to show love to the people who mean the most to me, including myself. It's not that I do not have love to give. I know it requires little effort on my part. I have noticed how sometimes it can take a bit of courage to express love toward people who I have said "I love you" to countless times. Why? I cannot pinpoint the reason for that. I always feel better after telling and showing people how much I love them. I don't get strange reactions. I get love in return. It's a win-win interaction.
Photo by Shihab Nymur on Unsplash
I feel like part of me can be afraid of expressing love, even toward those closest to me, like family and lifelong friends. It's weird. I have noticed how it's easier to do when the other person is more comfortable with receiving the love and giving it back to me. It could be that part of me that still gets afraid and insecure about getting love in return. The irony is the opposite of love has been described as fear, hate and indifference. Those are words I would rather not identify with. I have become more comfortable with expressing love over the years by not holding back as often because I want people to know how I feel, even if I do not get a response. I still expressed how I felt in the moment. However, it's still difficult at times.
Do you ever have trouble expressing love toward people who are close to you? Is love something you are able to dish out freely without expecting anything in return? Love is encompassing and elusive at the same time. It resides inside all of us, but we cannot pinpoint the source of it, except to say it comes from God or the Universe. We love to be loved, so it makes sense for us to give love, even if we may not expect it in return. It could be the people who need it the most have a tougher time putting it out there. That should not prevent us from spreading more love around. If anything, it may be a reason to do it more often.
More Wellness!
tiny buddha: 5 Ways to Show Your Love to Others (and Yourself)
Mind Body Green: Unconditional Love: How To Give It & Know If It's Healthy
Peaceful Soul: How to Spread Love In The World
