[sqrlb8]

Then...love.

To quote the advertising team for the Nike corporation, "just do it."

Yep, simple as that.

It's an activity. You "do" it; it doesn't finally arrive in the mail one day having circumnavigated the globe with a mistaken zip code. And it's not what you find when you go "out" looking for it. Sure, there are the happy accidents that cause us to stumble upon it, but even then, it becomes an action, an activity immediately, doesn't it.

Start with yourself. Hardly an original thought, that, why it even sounds lke a Hallmark greeting card sentiment. Try it. Do the kindest thing you can think of for yourself, and dare to receive it as well as give it to yourself. Scoff, laugh, sure, i know how it is; but try it.

Who is near you? Love them. Love your cat, your gold fish, or your parakeet. Do one loving thing for one person today. Crack that thing open that holds it in, it doesn't serve you.

Love attracts love. The more you love, the more love you have. The fear of it crumbles in the act of it.

I'm drowning in the stuff. But I give it away like my life depended on it. It does. What is life without it? It's the only way I know now, because it's better than anything else. Taste it and see.

So if it's love you want, then love. Just do it. It's that simple.

[h0kie]

Very eloquently said.

It almost reminds me of that Sandra Bullock movie, 28 days, when they said get a plant and if it isn't dead in so many months, get a pet, and if it isn't dead, THEN start looking for a relationship.

I've been thinking about that portion of the movie for a while. lol....I don't think I am making much sense. But I know what you mean...lol

Can't speak for others...but I ya already. So glad to have you here.

[vacantangel]

I do love somebody but he doesn't want my love anymore. I want romantic love and that's what it was. I still love him very much but it doesn't do me any good.

So, yes I want love, romantic love, and I just 'do it' but look where it left me....alone, without him!!!

So love is not that simple. I wish it was. If it was, he would still be with me.

[kimmydawn]

8, that's a wonderful concept that i do believe. i've found that what i show towards others is accepted, digested and then returned to me. i've found that here as well.

kindness begets kindness, sincerity begets sincerity, anger begets anger, need begets need, sharing begets sharing, love beget love. that is a standard i think. it's not the case 100% of the time, but generally speaking we receive what we give emotionally.

wonderful post.

[Mahali]

It is a great post. We often get back what we give. Love is hard work some days...and it can end up causing pain...but it is worth it most times.

Thank you for the thoughts.

[SpazKatt]

Sqrl you are sooo smart thanks for sharing your wisdom

[nothemama8]

Such wisdom , you sir are an honor to meet, I hope to meet you in the chat someday you have been so helpful to our Angie, may peace always be yours
Reah
(one of Angie's alters)

[sqrlb8]

I remember that movie OneDay, and that line jumped out at me too. lol I love how we connect the dots in this life. Thanks.

[mj14]

sqrl, what an interesting thread. Coincidentally, I was just thinking yesterday about the notion of "casting bread upon the waters." I have certainly found that in my own life, the more I give out, the more I get back.

I can think of it like the door to the heart goes both ways. If you open it to give love out, then it is open to receiving love. If you keep it closed and locked, nothing gets out or in.

And I have found that the more love I give out, the more I have to give. I've never found that I have a limited amount of love, and have to mete it out carefully to prevent running out. Like pruning a bush, when I give out love, twice as much fills in to replace it.

Thanks for the thoughts, sqrl.

Jo

[sqrlb8]

Or is it longing you describe more than love? We all want someone to be intimate with, but that is want not love.

Love carries an outward motion, want is an inward motion. See the difference?

The magic of it has to do with giving your love, for free, to yourself, to everyone and everything you meet, see, and touch, and the sublime surprise of where it comes back to you from. It's unpredictable.

Keep trying. Be honest with yourself about it. What parts of what I express are about longing and lack, and what parts of my expression are about the giving of an abundance inside myself?

My message here is that nothing brings love into your life quite like the giving of it from your own heart with all your might.

[sqrlb8]

MJ, you get a gold star. Here, lemme paste it right to your forehead. Nice. Now everyone will know that you are one "with stars on thar's." (dr. Seuss)

Yes, Yes, Yes, it is the giving of it that increases it. Yes. MMMMMMwwwwwwaa. (big kiss)

[sqrlb8]

Hey Kimmy, thank you, I so enjoy encountering you everywhere I go here. You're a gem.

Indeed, all the things you describe work on the same principle too. Amazing, yes? When you have that key, what door can remain locked?

I remain convinced that with love, it is true 100% of the time. It's my working assumption that when it seems otherwise, that has only to do with some expectation I still cling to.

[nothemama8]

To give love freely without demanding or expecting it in return is the true essence of love
"As you give so shall you receive"
Reah

[sqrlb8]

Thank you Place. My experience of you here is one of a very loving and sensitive person.

There's no escape from pain in this life. Just to be philosophically obnoxious for a moment: without pain, we can't know what joy is.

Loving means opening, and opening leads to vulnerability is some sense. If I look deeply though, my hurt never came from love, from my genuine giving of my love, (remember, giving is for free, no expectation of return). It takes some inward reflection to finally separate and distinguish the things that piggy back on love from the actual activity itself. Keep loving.

[sqrlb8]

Spaz, you sweetheart you. Thank you. But I could be as dumb as a box of rocks and still love. lol. Love works better without my brain's interference anyway.

[sqrlb8]

Reah, thank you. Angie and Amy, and now Reah, and all of you together, have seemed to me an embodiment of love here. Glad to know you.

[sqrlb8]

Mmmmmmwwwwwwaaaa, big kiss and gold star for Reah.

[nothemama8]

Thank you kind sir, I am the peace maker in our domain, Angie is the host body and generally nurtures all those around her, Amy as you know is a sweet silly little girl, you have not met Laura yet as she tends to shy away from the forum unless she can tell jokes, hopefully you won't run into Marie, she is the protector of our domain, and has abit of an attitude problem
Reah

[emptyglass]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful post. Below is a list of my ideal of love.

is not sexual,
caring,
involves doing things together,
is supportive,
enjoy each other's company
feel relaxed with the person
happiness
helping the person
normal behavior
sharing
trust
contentment
feel free to talk about anything
being reliable
respect

tc emptyglass

[TgrsPurr]

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

sqrl, when I grow up, I want to be just like you. You make my heart sing. You bring "something" in me to life that I never even knew existed. I'm a better person for knowing you, and I love you.

cheshire, I can only wish that I had even the talent you hold in your left pinky finger alone. I'm in love with your poetry.

Angel Girl, you make my heart go out to you in a way that no one else here does. I've come to love you too.

kimmydawn, SweetCrusader, 1day, Em, Ozzie, notthemama, and so many others of you....I love your diligence in making sure no one gets left out here. Your dedication to this place is nothing short of incredible. I love you for that. I aspire to be more like that.

And to all of you that share here, I love your willingness to put yourself out there like that. I love what we have ALL created here.

And last but not least....I love ME...TgrsPurr.
Purrrrr.

[emptyglass]

yes, i want platonic love.

..you have such a knack for bringing out the best in people and making folks smile.......hope you stick around for a long time...thanks.....julia

[Dolfin]

Wish it were that simple sqrl....really i do, but love is an emotion, something you can't control, be it's coming or going. Nice post tho, thx for sharing.

sqrl, I dont know what to say to this. I so desperately needed to hear those wonderful words just now. This break up sometimes gets the better of me and I find myself locking up my heart, as Jo put it, to push out the pain. Dude, you inspire me like few have and it seems that every time I begin to falter in some way or another, you always make a post that brings new light to whatever it is that I'm feeling at the time. You, sir, have a quality that few posess and I hope to, someday, learn the things you have learned in your years. You are an inspiration, a welcome part of this community, and an amazing friend. Thanks for lifting me up again.

Ryan

is it that simple?
well, then im gonna go practice some "self love" and go .....um.......
darn it!
i forgot HOW to love myself!!!