What is Love?

When you start to think about it, what is the definition of love?   If you look it up in the dictionary, it says, "an intense feeling of deep affection," or "feeling a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone."

To me, love is undefinable and ever reaching.  Love is synonymous with god, nature, the force or whatever you want to call it.  Love is what is keeping you alive right now.  It keeps your heart beating.  It keeps the world spinning around the sun.  Love is what you feel for your life partner, your child, your self, your parents, maybe even the stranger who passes by you.  Love is the greatest mystery of all.

That feeling you get when you feel relaxed and time is standing still, that is love.  The ever expanding universe is love.  The miracle of life is love.  What you do or don't do in your life is love.  If you remove all your preconceptions and labels, love is too big to even talk about.  The human mind cannot grasp it.  All you can do, if your heart is open enough, is to feel it and to give it, unconditionally.

Even the word love is so limited as it has become an over-used label.  Focus on action instead of the word.  Be present with others and yourself and you will start to feel love.  Think of others in a loving way.  Imagine your loved ones, friends, family and take a deep breath for them and when you exhale imagine them being showered in the light of your love.  Love is your imagination, your patience, your joy and your enthusiasm.  When you are in love, you are floating.  You are no longer a part of the material world.  You are immersed in the spirit of god, whoever/whatever you choose that to be.  Everything you do and say, comes from the stillness of love, the seat of your consciousness, the unknown deep within you.

The most powerful way to live is to give in to love.  To accept that you don't really know anything and that love, the mystery within and around all of us, will take care of everything.  Go ahead and say it, "I surrender to love. I surrender to the mystery.  What will be, will be."

Practice love by:

Being totally present when you are talking to someone.    Listen to the words and how they are saying them.  Feel their body language.  If they are tense, relax around them and give them room.  Be patient.  Some people are nervous and afraid of showing their vulnerability.  Just be present and keep your heart open.  Make your intention to simply connect with them by sharing this moment.  This moment is the only thing that ever really matters to anyone.

Accepting life by letting  go of planning and expecting too much.    Love does not plan or expect.  Love is the moment.  Love is the flow you feel when you are doing things with joy and enthusiasm.  When you are playing and time disappears, you are in love.  When you are spending time with a friend or lover, sharing your secrets, you are in love.  Love is action and stillness at the same time.  Love is intensity and calm.  Love is the balance.

Being giving .  Be kind, be compassionate and be patient.  Give your full heart and attention to whatever you are doing.  If you're working, do it with love.  The other choice is to do it with boredom, hatred or unhappiness.  Have fun with that.  Love is a choice.  You can accept it or reject it.  Either way, it's always right outside your door.

Being courageous .  With love, you can do anything.  You will care less what others think about you because you are in love with life.  When you are in love, you are ok with acting silly.  When you are in love, you are vulnerable and it's the best way to be.  Love can be uncomfortable and it often pushes us to make things better.