LOVE AND RESPECT YOUR LIFE

By Peter M. Kalellis

Love is a state of being. One of our greatest needs is to know that we are accepted and loved. Each one of us has to feel certain, deep down in our heart, that someone loves us, cares for us, and has our best interests at heart. That is a deep-rooted need in everyone’s inner self—our psyche.

magine if all human relationships began with the belief that people are innately wonderful and beautiful—and with an inner capacity to love. It may be hard to believe this, yet beyond our superficiality, we are people with a potential for love. We need to learn to respect the image and likeness of God in ourselves and others and be part of love as the one great reality in which we can all live. With practice, we will realize that we can look through others instead of just at them; we will understand others with a capacity to love despite some outwardly unloving behaviors. Why take the trouble? Because we do live in the world and because our peace of mind and health of body and soul are dependent on the relationships we establish with others.

GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT

Remind yourself, as you travel down the road of life that you are your own person, a good human being, and you can do good things for yourself and others. And if someone in your path mistreats you, or tries to tear you down, or blocks your growth with negative thoughts, try to understand that these people project on you their mental conditions. At best, avoid them for they can ruin your life.

Thoreau once said that he could call no man charitable who forgets that the persons who work for him or with him are made of the same clay as himself. To put it simply: we need to move from love platitudes to loving attitudes and actions. We don’t need to aim for the stars because we cannot reach them. Their light makes nights a pleasant sight. Sometimes, we tend to admire and subtly wish to imitate certain celebrities that we see either in the movies or on television. But let’s be realistic and not beat ourselves up with such a superhuman delusion. Superman and Superwoman are illusions meant to excite our senses and lead to a fantasy world. We do admire the rich and famous, movie stars, accomplished athletes, authors, and artists. Does anyone of us know what their real life is, and how they feel off the stage? Can you or I live an exciting, successful, wealthy, super life as proclaimed in magazines and television?

We cannot be like anybody else. We can only be who we are, and that’s okay. Accept our true self, love and respect our being. Today, not tomorrow or next week, today at this hour. Why not bank and cherish our assets—capabilities, talents, gifts that God gave us? Look deeper into yourself and see which is your better gift. Well, don’t wait. It is your choice to pursue it. You will be happier.