“When the power of love overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace.” J. Hendrix
I was driving to an appointment last week and was momentarily distracted by a billboard. The simplistic advertisement, a picture of a car and three bold-faced words accomplished its purpose; it grabbed my attention. The ad displayed the ID.4, a new electric vehicle from Volkswagen, but it was the words that stuck with me, “It changes everything.” Later in the day I read a bit more about the car and was disappointed to learn that it won’t change everything; it will only, “transform how I think about electric vehicles”. What a letdown, from changing everything to shifting how I think about cars; I was hoping for more.
While the billboard only distracted me for a moment, the words within the ad have occupied my thoughts for the past few days. What is the “It” that can change everything? As I considered those words, did some reflection/reading and engaged in discussion with friends, I came to two realizations:
- There is a Universal “It”. There is one thing that changes everything else in our lives; it’s called love and it manifests itself in many ways.
- “It” is a Choice – We each have the power to embrace love and let it change our life. The choice to do so is ours.
In 1938, Harvard University began conducting its “Study of Adult Development”, tracking the lives of 700 men who grew up in Boston in the 1930s and ’40s to study and compare their levels of physical and mental wellbeing throughout their lives. The study, later nicknamed “Good Genes are Nice But Joy is Better”, has expanded over the years and now includes men and women from every walk of life. Psychiatrist George E. Vaillant, one of the directors of the study, explained in his book, Triumphs of Experience (2012), “The seventy-five years and twenty million dollars expended on the Grant Study points, at least to me, to a straightforward five-word conclusion: ‘Happiness is love. Full stop.’”
The Harvard study serves to reinforce the ancient beliefs of love’s importance and its consideration as a primary doctrine central to all religions:
- “Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Christianity)
- ‘You will not enter Paradise until you have faith and you will not have faith until you love each other. (Islam)
- “This is what the Holy One said to Israel: My children, what do I seek from you? I seek no more than that you love one another and honor one another.” (Judaism)
- “This supreme Lord who pervades all existence, the true Self of all creatures, may be realized through undivided love.” (Hinduism)
Across religions we are encouraged to widen our circle of love, but we must remember that love takes many forms and is about much more than just romance. The Greek philosophers identified seven types of love: Eros (erotic or sexual love), Philia (love of friends; friendship), Sorge (familial love), Ludus (playful love), Pragma (practical love based on duty), Philautia (self-love), and the one that Paul the Apostle uses, Agape (universal love).
Love, in and of itself, cannot change anything. Change can only occur when we consciously decide to embrace love and make it a part of our lives. When that happens, when we use a mindset anchored in love to guide our daily actions, everything changes and anything is possible. Hence it would seem we each have a choice to make Life starts when you choose to change your life forever! When will you make the choice to start yours?
Embrace the Choice
Embrace the Challenge