Love has many different meanings. We most commonly think of love as a state of being that we find ourselves in by happenstance-the love that fills your heart with affection for a person in your life, or the expansiveness you feel when doing an activity that you love. I LOVE my husband. I LOVE to dance.
But is it also possible, and in fact profoundly important, to intentionally cultivate love, through our actions, with strength AND vulnerability, using our empathy, and seek a path toward love that overcomes divisiveness and allows us to thrive.

From the moment we enter this world, love and connection are central to our basic needs. As young children we automatically reach out to those we love, uninhibited and unencumbered. There is no shame, no judgement, just love. Over time, however, we can lose touch. As adults, it can be hard for some to even say the word love, let alone actively seek it out or willingly share it with others.

There are reasons for this-reasons I can understand if I put myself in the shoes of others. Some have been hurt by others or feel they do not deserve love or kindness. Perhaps, we learn to think that there is more value in individual power than love and community, and the way to achieve success is at the expense of love. Or we are simply waiting for love to arrive for us, and we have not learned to cultivate it in our daily lives. And slowly, without even realizing what has happened, we begin to disconnect from the people and things that might open us up to love and we tell ourselves that love is unattainable, even unnecessary. And when we let go of love, we lose the ability to recognize the link between us, and apathy and hatred can lay roots.

But love is necessary. And it is powerful.

In a tumultuous world, love, empathy and kindness become our hope and instruments of profound change. By cultivating these inherent parts of our nature, it enables us to understand and have compassion for others, combat the hatred that divides us, allows us to thrive as people, families and communities, and accomplish miraculous things.

Love is more than a mere emotion. It is a guiding principle that influences our behavior and decisions and has immeasurable ripples across humanity. When we act out of love and with empathy, we naturally align our actions with other core values such as integrity, fairness, and compassion. Love compels us to advocate for the well-being of others, and to foster a sense of community and shared humanity.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a staunch advocate for love, said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” I carry this with me as a reminder and a challenge for myself to foster love, even in the darkest times, even when I’m scared that it won’t make a difference, even in the face of hatred that is sometimes hard to understand. And I believe Dr. Martin Luther King’s words that “love is ultimately the only answer to mankind’s problems.” It is powerful. And it is yours to give.