5 Things I Know For Sure About LOVE | Dr. Christina Hibbert

05 Feb 5 Things I Know For Sure About LOVE

Posted at 18:31h in Personal Growth by Dr. Christina Hibbert 0 Comments

I love that February is the month of love. I don’t particularly love Valentine’s Day—for many reasons—but I love the idea of focusing on love at the start of each new year. In January, we focus on how we want to grow, and in February, we focus on love. It’s perfect, really, since “choosing to grow is choosing love.” (This is How We Grow, p. 415) The two go hand in hand.

What is the nature of love, anyway?

There are all kinds of theories and songs and poems about it. Every human in history has probably pondered this question at one point or another. We have all experimented with love–in our relationships, in our quest for self-worth and personal growth, and even in our spiritual connections. But what is love? Where does it come from? How do we create a life that’s full of love?

5 Things I Know for Sure About Love

I may not know everything about love, but I do know a few things. And these few things may provide a few answers to these huge questions looming above…

1) To love and be loved is a core human need. Without love, we die. The more people I’ve been able to work with over the years, in my own life and as a psychologist, the more it has become obvious—our deepest human need is to love and be loved in return.

2) Love originates with God. The Bible says, “God is love.” It’s true–no matter your religious beliefs or the words you use. God is love, and pure love is God. Humans, since the dawn of time, have spoken of this “great love,” which comes from a divine source and fills their souls. This pure love is available for any and all of us to discover. It’s probably what fuels our human need for love–we crave that Great Love from and connection with our Creator. We need it, to be whole. As we let God’s love for us fill us, we experience true self-worth. We feel the oneness of all things, and have a deep desire to share that love with everyone. We see ourselves in others and know we are not alone. We know that no should ever have to feel alone.

3) We are made of love. When you slow down, get still, and tune in to life, you will feel it: you’re made of love. Just like we each have an unending reservoir of joy deep within, so too are we each made of love. We may not always feel it because it gets covered up and tarnished by the struggles of life. But, every spiritual teacher and practice that has ever existed teaches the same thing: We are one, and we are love. “Love comes from God and nature and light, and fills us, if we let it, like a well that never runs dry. As we receive this love, we become so full of love it pours out of our eyes and mouth and arms, filling those around us, too.” (This is How We Grow, p. 415) It’s true.

4) Love is a cycle. The cycle includes: 1) giving love, and 2) receiving love. If we are made of love (and we are—trust me), and if our greatest human need is love, then it makes sense that the deeper we go, the more love we uncover. It also makes sense that the more love we uncover within ourselves, the more we want to share it with others. Giving love is one of the greatest experiences we can have. But, receiving love is just as important. For example, if we fail to receive love from others, our relationships suffer. If we fail to receive love from God, we lack a sense of how important we really are. If we fail to receive love from ourselves, we feel empty, with little love to share. That’s why receiving love is so important. As I write, “In order to give love, we must receive love; as we receive love, we learn to love ourselves; and as we love ourselves, we have so much more love to give.” This is the cycle of love. Like the waves of the ocean, it is made to ebb and flow. Completing this cycle is the key to a life full of love.

5) It’s up to us to let love in. Yep. It’s up to us to uncover the love burning deep within, and it’s up to us to discover the love that comes from without. Love is everywhere, if we will simply seek it. It’s in the smile of a stranger and the hug of a friend. It’s in the warmth of the sun and the stillness of the snow. Love is in the trust of a family member; it’s in the words I’m writing now. Look for love. Seek it continually, and you will find it. Then, open up your heart and let love in.

(For more ways to receive love, stay tuned for my next post! Coming soon!)