“Perfect love casts out fear…” Inversely then, fear casts out love. It’s fear that keeps us from loving others. Fear of our own unlovableness, fear of rejection, fear of what we might do if given half a chance…

“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Inversely then, love yourself as much as you love others. Be as compassionate, understanding and forgiving of yourself as you are to those around you. It’s the lack of loving ourselves that stands in the way of being truly compassionate and kind to others more often than not. That principal self-loathing, the sending your soul to the woodshed is what spends our emotional energy and leaves us bitter and angry.

What is love? “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

And another thing, Love is very hard work, quite possibly the hardest work that man can do.