THIS THING CALLED LOVE

Love is agreeably the most powerful emotion available to mankind and the indispensable tool needed to experience serenity inwardly, within a community, and the world at large. At some point in our life quest, most people have experienced a feel of this enormous emotion either through giving or by receiving it. However, there is a question that comes to mind about Love; does or should love have any restrictions? 

It's never an hyperbole when caught in awe and bewildered with the rate at which we profess love to one another. It would only take 20 per cent of the populace's determination to practice love realistically as proclaimed for us to reduce the grief in our society by 70 per cent.Seems absurd but it's quite pragmatic.

How well do we sincerely love our neighbours as ourselves as ordained by God? I think loving our neighbours as ourselves seems so much like an uphill task for now, so permit me to rephrase the statement; how well do we love our siblings as ourselves? (sighs) it looks easy though; but let us search within and intuitively ask ourselves if we sincerely love all our siblings as we love ourselves. Most people would discover after thorough self analysis that they sincerely don't love their siblings as much as they assumed they did through realization of an ample truth that love is extremely unconditional without any definite or indefinite boundary.

(picture credit.... theodysseyonline.com)

Love is extremely sacrificial and agape..Love is altruistic and timeless. Love devours other principles except itself. Love is also the foundation of all bliss attainable to mankind.

Despite the loss, anguish and anger we sometimes experience from our favourite football clubs or sports, our loyalty to them is often unaltered. Most times we can't fathom our immediate gains from our loyalty to our favourite sports/football club, but our loyalty keeps waxing stronger regardless. Subconsciously, we are displaying an unfathomable love towards our sport/football clubs.

A mother stair profusely at her baby with a heart genuinely craving to guard the child selflessly with every bit of her without thinking the baby could reciprocate with an immediate payback..that's nature tutoring us on the spirit of altruism; that's love!

In my opinion, I think the only way we can succeed at practicing the act of love towards others involves three stages.

Firstly, we need to genuinely love God. I think most people worship God has a form of ritualistic obligation based on what we have been taught from childhood, but we slacken in making effort to understand and know the deity we are worshiping. For love to take place, I think it's imperative for us to genuinely know the party involved before falling in love out of  emotional entanglement with the amazing qualities and beauty possessed by the other party. 
I think taking our time to genuinely know God, understanding His amazing attributes and qualities and total submission to His will would be an imperative stage in our quest towards loving Him...Overall, we need to practice a convincing act of genuinely loving God.

Secondly; we need to love ourselves. You can't give what you don't have. You can only love others when you love yourself genuinely. I guess most people would unanimously claim they love themselves, but I think genuine love for oneself erases most negativity we often struggle with....Let's apply the same principle as narrated beforehand; knowing the involved party genuinely, identifying its unique attributes and beauty, and attraction to its amazing qualities.
By relating this principle to ourselves, we should realize there is an urgent need to know our-self,and identify our unique qualities. God does not repeat the creation of a soul; hence there is an inimitable purpose decreed for every soul.There is something unique about everyone that distinguishes us from others.Investing our time to discover who we truly are would enable us to identify our unique attributes and beauty.We would love ourselves unfathomably after realizing these astounding qualities hence a mind engulfed with gratitude, humility and self-confidence would be inherent to us.

Thirdly, there is nothing else to offer rather than love if we have genuinely practiced the aforementioned stages. Loving our neighbours would be achieved effortlessly,because we are at peace with ourselves;and not pressured by any form of competition in our life quest.

Love is the antidote to the world menaces and the tool needed to make our world more amiable and peaceful.... Love God, Love yourself and Love others..... Live Free !