Love is the most powerful weapon of change

By Mark A. Leon

To quote the Richard Curtis film, “Love Actually“, ‘If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around’.  No finer words spoken to open a film.

What if it were that simple?

• What if you could change the world with one simple act of kindness? One gesture, one moment of selfless giving

• What if you could change a life by just doing what no one else is willing to do?

• What if we could rid the world of greed and selfishness by each taking one small step toward goodness

• What drives us to walk away from a homeless man on the street without so much as giving a few dollars?

• What stops us from leaving a larger than acceptable tip to help a struggling server?

• What stops us from volunteering to help those less fortunate instead of binging through a Netflix show?

• Why has social media forged us away from feeling empathy?

• Why are new friendships forced?

• What can’t we be honest with one another?

So many whys and so little action.

It makes you start to evaluate your own life and those around you.

Is this the type of person you want your children to become?

Love is the most impactful emotion

It is often said, the most powerful emotion in human existence is love, yet it is so often under-utilized unless there is a monumental act of pain or wrongdoing that rallies us around.

We have the most powerful weapon of change right in front of us at no cost, but we keep it benched.

I have a background in marketing, yet it bothers me to know we market the idea of genuine and selfless love.  It is like a modern tragedy.  How often have you lost a loved one and just wished you had just more time with them?  Maybe the real question is, how much time did you waste not being with them?

Each day, I respond to every email and call and try to tell at least one person a day what they mean to me.  That brings fulfillment to my life and ensures that should something happen, I left in a good place.  I feel I am making a positive difference at work, in life, through my words and actions. That is a commitment I make to myself.  I don’t promote it, flaunt it or even share it with. It is a personal act between myself and those I share it with.  That is true love.

Don’t fear Love or Kindness

I don’t fear love, but embrace it. How many are afraid to say, “I love you” feeling it may be misinterpreted? We all have. At some point or another, we all have. Let go of that fear and embrace its power. You must trust me on this and take a leap of faith.

Love is a guided principle profoundly written about in the Bible, film, novels, poetry, song and action.

From the sign in the sky to the words bestowed on one knee every girl wants to hear.  It is the volunteering at a senior center and giving a lonely elderly person a sense of worth or paying the last 5 dollars for someone’s groceries because they are short this week.   It is a ride offered to your neighbor when his car breaks down or offering to workout with someone who has lost their way in their goal of wellness.

Kindness is all around us.  Often it has a hidden agenda like a tax write off or marketing plug, but when you experience one of those quiet unheralded moments, there is a feeling that overwhelms your heart that can’t be explained in words.

We have heard the phrase, “power in numbers”.  This principle holds true with love.  One act of love may turn a head.  Two will get you thinking.  Three will generate dialogue, but many will start a chain reaction and cannot be stopped.

Express your love today and every day.