That said, I want to talk about the concept of unconditional love. If you expect that kind of love from an adult human being you are going to be disappointed. From the time we are toddlers we are taught that there are conditions aplenty. Eat everything on your plate and you can have dessert. Finish your homework and you can watch TV. You get the picture.
Unconditional love comes from babies and, yes, dogs. I have two beautiful rescue dogs, Roxy and Charlie. They teach me about unconditional love every day. When I wake up they greet me with unbelievable joy, as if they waited all night just to be with me again. Hard to be grumpy when you are greeted with such passion early in your day. My partner, Jon gets the same treatment. That is our unconditional love for the day. Dogs don't judge you. They live to love you.
Wouldn't it be a perfect world if we could follow that templar? It isn't really possible for we humans. Our early training simply prohibits us from doing anything without conditions. But that doesn't mean that we can't try to be less conditional with those we love. We may never achieve the desired result but we can find satisfaction in making the effort. It is always worth a try. The more you try, the closer you get to achieving the ultimate goal of pure love.
Pure love is within us. If only our brains didn't have to get involved in everything. When you practice allowing the spirit to guide you through the day, you will find that love becomes easier to give and easier to receive. Try loving the clerk at the store, or the bank teller, or the mailman. Just wait and see how much love you will get in return. Everything that we all have to deal with becomes easier. Downright pleasant even. It requires conscious effort. Simple if you make it a priority on your list of things to do each day.
Unconditional? Well, not quite. But a step in that direction is a step well taken. Just put love on your agenda. Then enjoy the rewards.
As always, these are thoughts about the way I feel.
Peace and love,
Austin/Bill
Fantastic! Love the content & the photo. And you Know how I feel about dogs!! My pups are my inspiration and muses. Their unconditional love and jest for life is a daily reminder in how to live my life. Pups are wonderful teachers :)
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Beautiful Bill! Very well put. I almost always try to put that love out there, but I am alas, human, and sometimes get so wrapped up in myself that I forget to be objective when I am confronted with a nasty attitude. If I happen to be in a good mood, I can usually respond pleasantly, and try to make them feel better(after the initial shock of realizing "what? they don't realize I am a nice person?" . But if I am having a bad day of my own I must confess I can be less than charitable, even if no one realized that but me. Breathe, realize they may be having a bad day as well and accept the challenge to change their day for the better....that is what I really want to do.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully statedBill, couldn;t agree with you more. Love is the core of our existence. It is the truth of who we are. We are all connected with everyone and everything. Mitakuye Oyasin, say the Lakota Sioux, we are all related. I bless you and your powerful love. It sounds like there is much love within your family and I celebrate that with you. Lauri Sinclair Carlson
ReplyDeleteBill you are referring to the highest form of love which has been written about many times and in the greek is known as agapao or agape love. C. S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves, used agape to describe what he believed was the highest level of love known to humanity—a selfless love, a love that was passionately committed to the well-being of the other. It is the love of devotion apart from expectant return. Your dog would probably love you even if you ignored it completely and never took it for a walk or fed it. It is a love of choice not of feeling. A soldier that lays down his life willingly to protect his country. No greater love than this is when one lays down his life for his friends. But even greater love does one have when one lays down his life for his enemies? How easy to love those that do good to you already but to love when you do good to those who abuse you and say all kinds of wicked things about you? Loving even your enemies? Loving those when they do not yet love you is truly unconditional!
ReplyDeleteKill more flies with honey...hummm...my grandma always told me that!
ReplyDeleteI get the rant thing Bill...
I have only experienced unconditional love from babies and animals. That's why my heart breaks when I see animals abused or hunted. They don't understand why they are being treated that way.
As far as people? That's a hard one especially when they're family! To love someone unconditionally when they are so mean spirited is very hard. Love has it's limits sometimes. I feel better when I let them go...
It has been more than a year since I wrote this. But it is every bit as relevant to me today. I have learned more about love because of friends who struggle with it, and because of it. I have learned through the clients I counsel. My dogs still show me the way every day. I send love and light to all those who share it with me, and even to those who are not yet ready to do so.
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