All human behaviour is either an act of love or a cry for love.
~ Stan Dale
Our daughter and her husband created a list of family core values.
At the top of the list was: Lead with love.
Love is a fundamental force driving human behaviour.
Every human action, regardless of its apparent nature, stems from a fundamental need for connection, acceptance, or validation.
The absence of love, or unmet needs, can lead to hurtful or destructive behaviour.
The ripple effect of a loving thought
When infants aren't held, they can become sick, even die. It's universally accepted that children need love, but at what age are people supposed to stop needing it? We never do. We need love in order to live happily, as much as we need oxygen in order to live at all.
~ Marianne Williamson
It is easy to observe the impact of the deprivation of love on young children who require unconditional love to flourish.
But, it can be difficult to show up in a loving way when we witness childish behaviour in adults.
Yet, when I open my heart to perceive bad behaviour as a cry for help, I am more inclined to feel compassion and act with kindness. When it comes to healing, in that state I have witnessed miracles.
The ripple effect of a loving thought is a powerful and far-reaching phenomenon that can inspire kindness, transform relationships, and contribute to a more positive, healthy, and compassionate world.
Closing thoughts
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
I share these thoughts because mocking and bashing presidential candidates has become common practice as the US election approaches.
Unfortunately, the behaviour of leaders, including our Canadian leaders, has become increasingly childish. That is a reflection of our collective state.
We need better role models. But, to attract good leaders, we have to become the change we want to see in them. We have to model good behaviour. We have to lead with love.
Mother Teresa once said that some people come into our life as blessings and some as lessons. Clearly we have a lot to learn.
Marianne Williamson was a candidate for the democratic party in the United States. I admire her work and leave you with some of her wise quotes.
There is no Mr. Right because there is no Mr. Wrong. There is whoever is in front of us, and the perfect lessons to be learned from that person.
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Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishment—or unlearning—of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts. Love is the essential existential fact. It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.
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We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, but by the love we're not extending in the present.
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Until we have seen someone's darkness, we don't really know who they are. Until we have forgiven someone's darkness, we don't really know what love is.
~ Marianne Williamson
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