The Search for Love

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I've traveled to many towns and cities in many countries over the decades, sometimes finding myself in small villages in 3rd world countries as I trekked in the Amazon, Machu Picchu and to temples in China.  I observe people when I travel and write from those new and interesting interactions that become part of my experiences.  

 It may be adventures that fill your bucket list, amazing tastes with friends, times with family or pristine sunsets that tickle your heart. What's that all about?

 Every experience fulfills a search for something and that something is love. 

 At some point in our lives most of us discover what love isn't. Love cannot be gained through the many adventures that you take, dinners shared or gifts purchased. Love is not something that you obtain through action, deed or gesture for others. Sure it may feel good for the moment, but the reality is that you'll never find love outside yourself until you discover love from within yourself. 
In order to find true love you have to first love yourself!

 If you don't love yourself, then you're bound to search endlessly for love and come up empty-handed. What a disappointment!  At times we're presented with the opportunities for those personal growth spurts that lead us closer to that unconditional love affair of self like:
  • When you've tried our best, but you may not have presented yourself in your best light. It's when you don't beat yourself up for your own imperfection that you're a step closer to unconditional self-love.
  • When doors close, pushing you in a different direction than you originally planned. When you know that God always has your back and perhaps he's saving you from something by closing those doors, then again, you're a step closer to unconditional self-love.
  • When people spread vicious rumors or lies about you to others to hide or distract from their own shortcomings. You don't have to look past twitter in this country today to find high profile accounts with 65 million followers spewing hate, lies and rumors to misdirect or blame others for their own crimes. When you forgive and have compassion for those people who have persecuted you, that you're closer to unconditional self-love.
Although at times loving yourself isn't easy, once you realize that every experience is a gift to help move you toward unconditional self-love, then you're already halfway there.  It may be for an hour or a day at a time, but that's okay. Now here's the exciting part. When you discover that true love from within, everything changes. but when we achieve that unconditional love of self, we move forward., glowing as we walk down the street, exuding an intoxicating fragrance that infiltrates the nostrils of every passerby, as our smile sends goose bumps to those we glance at.

It's when you love yourself that all avenues of open up to you as you find your dream job, comfortable home.  It’s like having a million dollar shopping spree at the Mall shopping at Tiffany’s, Norstrom’s and Neiman Marcus combined. Can you say Louboutin?

 And when the timing is right meet you very own Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt or George Clooney and replay a romantic scene from the Notebook. Okay, so perhaps that last one is a personal fantasy, but you get the picture.

So if you're searching the internet for the definition of love or some quick fix 10 step program and stumbled across this particular article, well darling,  I think it means that you still need to do a little work in the self-love area.

Wishing you a delicious love of self,