“Hecato says, ‘I can teach you a love potion made without any drugs, herbs, or special spell — if you would be loved, love.'”
SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 9.6
The power of love is stronger than any other force in the universe! And if you want to receive some, you have to be sure you’re sending love out there into the world as well. That’s the main point of today’s chapter in The Daily Stoic.
Giving love to others can be hard if you’re feeling unloved at the moment — so if that’s the case then you’ll have to love without attachment to any return, and just in the hope that you’ll get some back (and not necessarily from the same person).
When you give love out to the world, do it with an understanding that love makes everything better in the world. “Almost every situation is made better by love — or empathy, understanding, appreciation,” as author Ryan Holiday puts it. And the opposite is true of hatred and fear, as they simply enslave us.
There’s a reason why pretty much every thoughtful song says that love is the answer to the world’s problems… it’s kinda the truth! It’s also the solution to our own struggles. Always love. (Perhaps not coincidentally, “Always Love” is one of my favorite reggae songs.)
By giving love you are opening your heart — which is the only way that you’re able to receive love when it comes back around. If you expect to receive love without first giving it, then your heart will be closed and you won’t be able to accept it. You have to open your heart first, and give first!
