We’re starting a new Model Behaviors series called Wellness Wednesdays, and at the start of each coming month we’ll feature a different Behaviorist and a word that best describes a part of her life at the present moment. Then, on Wednesdays we’ll explore what that word means to her and to all of us. For this month, our first Behaviorist Barbara has chosen love. At the bottom of her post, find out how you can participate in our new series and become a contributor to Model Behaviors!
But first, let’s find out what love means to Barbara.
What is love? We are all LOVE.
It’s inside us, all around us. We were created with love, to give and to receive it.
We’re all aware of feeling different sorts of love in our lives. For example, what we feel for our partner may be different than what we feel for our child, which is again different from what we might feel for a friend or for our pets.
When love is unconditional, there’s no withholding it in any way, nor should there be any judgment attached to it. Unconditional love has no hidden agenda, like wanting a situation or person to change.
Rule number one in my book is that you have to love yourself first. Cherish yourself first. If you don’t love yourself, then how can you love anything or anyone else?
Unfortunately, the way I learned this personal rule was by being in the wrong relationships because I so desperately wanted to be loved. It didn’t matter if everything inside of me was saying, “NO NO NO.“ Only later, upon reflection, did I realize that what I mistook for love was an empty void. In truth, the void I felt was a lack of love that I was giving to myself.
Today, with a lot of self-care and through my meditation practice, I’ve learned what love is and isn’t. Love isn’t changing who you are for someone to love you, or not saying what you think or feel because of the fear that this person won’t love you for who you really are.
Love is when two people touch each other’s soul with mutual respect, honesty, and trust. Love is learning to forgive the ones who have hurt you. Love is also forgiveness.
It’s in everything. It’s all around us. Have you ever gone into nature and just sat there, observing everything happening around you? The trees, the wind blowing, the smell of flowers, the birds singing, the sun glowing…they’re all amazing occurrences when you stop to watch and feel.
BECAUSE LOVE IS ALL AROUND US AND IT’S AMAZING!
Don’t you agree? What does “love” mean to you?
With profound love for all of you,
Barbara
Did Barbara’s celebratory outlook on love inspire you? Want to share your own thoughts on the subject and possibly become a Model Behaviors contributor? All you have to do is sign up for our mailing list. Once you do, we’ll send you a confirmation email with instructions on how to submit a quote about love (either your own, or simply one that you personally connect with). At the end of the month, we’ll choose one submission at random and feature it on the site and on all of our social media. We can’t wait to see what our awesome MB readers will bring to the table!
