The one thing that every human being has in common is that we all want to be loved. Some may not know this and others may deny this but it’s the truth.
There are only two emotions, love and fear. If you know this and believe this, you’d think it would be easy to choose love over fear.
But it’s not.
We’ve been told since childhood not to trust strangers and that some people are bad or not equal to others. Teachers often support our parents' beliefs.
We also live in a culture of fear. We are taught to be afraid of crime, kidnapping, minorities, ex-inmates, germs, terrorism and drugs. Society is manipulated by fear tactics. Fear sells and people and organizations profit from it.
In The Culture of Fear, sociologist Barry Glassner demonstrates that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk.
If we are going to learn to consistently choose love over fear we have to stop listening to the negative media. We need to remember that we are intelligent people who can think for ourselves. We don’t have to follow the herd.
Fear keeps us disconnected, isolated and confused. Fear keeps us stuck in debt, addiction and scarcity-thinking. Fear keeps us in the future. Fear breeds more fear.
We don’t have to live in fear. It’s a choice.
I choose love. Love keeps us united, connected and content. Love allows us to feel seen, heard and secure. Love promotes service and collaboration.
I was blessed in my late twenties to find teachers, mentors and friends who showed me the path to love. Over the years this knowledge has allowed me to grow deeper in love with myself, life and the rest of the world.
If you would like to feel more love and less fear, you may find these tips helpful:
1. Open your mind and heart. Be open to a new way. Letting go of deep-rooted fear isn’t easy. It takes practice. Listen more and judge less. Initiate conversations and friendships with people who are different from you. Give others the benefit of the doubt. Expect others to be kind and loving. Drop your preconceived notions.
2. Turn on your love faucet. Be kind. Train yourself to think and speak lovingly. Look for people who need your help. Be generous. Be of service. Those who have more must give more. Set the example. Go the extra mile.
3. Change your beliefs. Write down what you believe about crime, drugs, different countries, other races, poverty, etc. Choose to change your negative beliefs. Believe in the good in the world and in others. Look for proof to back up your new-found beliefs.
4. Keep a journal. At the end of the day, write down the love you experienced. Write down the kindness you witnessed. Write down the love you’ve seen expressed. What you focus on expands. When you look for love, you’ll find it.
5. Give the love you want to experience. Be the first to offer to help. Hold the door open for strangers. Look people in the eye and be the first to say hello. Love is a verb. Take action.
6. Appreciate the ones you’re with. Focus on others' strengths. Refuse to criticize. Be the first person to declare and demonstrate your love to your friends and family members. Don’t ever hold back or withdraw your love. Be grateful for all the people in the world who love you.
7. Love yourself. Begin today. Speak well of yourself. Praise yourself. Celebrate yourself. Be willing to put yourself first. If it’s true that we can’t love anyone until we love ourselves, no wonder there’s a dearth of love being expressed in the world. Meet your own needs. Make it your no. 1 priority.
There is no reason to feel alone and unloved. There is no excuse not to be more loving. Make your choice for love today. Take a stand. Give love. Express love. Be love, loving. A whole new world awaits you.
Love the point u shared about the perception of risk being greater not the actual level of risk. I had never consciously considered this before. It’s a great reminder to me to be deliberate about where I put my focus. I choose love.