“Would you become a pilgrim on the road of love? The first condition is that you make yourself humble as dust and ashes.” (Quote by Rumi)

Introduction

Love is one of the purest of emotions and comes naturally from within us. It comes in many forms too. Love is perhaps the most abundant emotion there is, and it manifests itself in all our lives on so many different levels. Love, as a matter of fact, single-handedly triggers several other virtues and emotions, like compassion and empathy. It enables us to chase our dreams and empowers us to develop meaningful relationships with the potential to last a lifetime.

Significance

On so many occasions, a man finds himself to be capable of such magnificent feats, all because of his love for a woman or his family. A mother goes to such great lengths, endures such vast amounts of pain and suffering, all because of her love for her children. People let go of the wealth they so wholeheartedly created over many many decades, all because of their love for their fellow human beings. In this regard, love can certainly be said to be a powerful source of courage, endurance, and inspiration. When channeled in the right direction, it can give birth to unprecedented pieces of art, it can propel the kindest of deeds, ones that help uplift all life there is.

Cultivation

Each one of us feels love to varying degrees. If you don’t feel it now, you must have felt it at some point in your life. Some feel it for themselves, some for their families, some for their respective communities, and some for the entire society as a whole. The goal, dear friend, is to keep on expanding the extent to which we feel this beautiful emotion. But how do we do that? One of the easiest ways to begin is to simply be aware. Be aware of your current relationships wherein you actually feel an abundance of love. Be aware of the events and situations that trigger this particular emotion within you. Once you do, try holding on to it. Consciously experience how it feels to feel love for another being.

The next step is to repeatedly remind yourself of the kind-hearted, loving, and caring person you are. Throughout the day, tell yourself: “I am a loving and caring human being.” It seems like a worthless exercise but can do wonders for those who remain consistent with the practice. And to compliment this, start performing random acts of kindness for your family members first, gradually expanding your circle of impact to your friends, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, so on and so forth. The key is to start small and work your way around your comfort zone. It’s a fact that we become what we think, that our actions are guided by our thoughts. What most people don’t understand is that the opposite is just as true. Our actions have the power to influence our thoughts, moods, and emotions, and so the cycle continues. When you tell yourself that you are a caring human being, you immediately divert your flow of thoughts towards how you actually want to feel, followed by your random acts of kindness, which enable your mind to conveniently strengthen the belief.

Resources

Coming soon! 

End Note

Many of us tend to suppress our feelings of love. We foster this false notion that it makes us vulnerable and weak. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The strength that comes from harboring deep love for anyone is truly remarkable and noteworthy. The wisdom that comes from heartbreak, even more so. The lessons we learn, either way, are indispensable. The emotional maturity love grants, and the childlike innocence it encompasses both serve a purpose beyond the tangible. In most cases, they make us who we are.

PS. If you wish to become an accomplished human being, equipped with the right values and ethics, you should work on cultivating love as a virtue. It is one of the nine most important virtues of all times for promoting self development and growth.