Tis the season to celebrate love. Every year when Valentine's Day comes around, most of us focus on romantic love. But when you stop to think about it, there are many levels and types of love: I love my husband. I love my sister. I love my dog. I love my career. I love warm nights.
LOVE. We think about it, sing about it, dream about it, lose sleep worrying about it. When we don’t have it, we search for it; when we discover it, we don’t know what to do with it; and when we have it, we fear losing it.
It is the constant source of pleasure and pain. But we can’t predict which it will be from one moment to the next.
It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, and impossible to live without.
When you google love...you find 400,000,000 results.
The word is mostly used according to the first definition given in the dictionary: “an intense feeling of deep affection.” In other words, love is what one feels.
We hear it, say it, feel it.... but what is this concept of love?
People the world over can at least agree on what some of the most cherished forms of love are: romantic love for another and the love shared by children and parents, siblings and friends. There is, also, such loves as love of life, nature, country, and of course, God.
LOVE. We think about it, sing about it, dream about it, lose sleep worrying about it. When we don’t have it, we search for it; when we discover it, we don’t know what to do with it; and when we have it, we fear losing it.
It is the constant source of pleasure and pain. But we can’t predict which it will be from one moment to the next.
It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, and impossible to live without.
When you google love...you find 400,000,000 results.
The word is mostly used according to the first definition given in the dictionary: “an intense feeling of deep affection.” In other words, love is what one feels.
We hear it, say it, feel it.... but what is this concept of love?
People the world over can at least agree on what some of the most cherished forms of love are: romantic love for another and the love shared by children and parents, siblings and friends. There is, also, such loves as love of life, nature, country, and of course, God.
JOIE DE VIVRE: The secret to a happy, healthy life.
Joie de vivre" (or the "joy of living") is an expression of a cheerful enjoyment of life; a rare quality that simply shines forth in some people who have an ability to love life to its fullest.
It "can be a love of conversation, love of eating, love of anything one might do, a philosophy of life that involves one's whole being. If you don’t love doing it, then do something else.”
For many of us the hustle and bustle of everyday life can wear us down to a pile of complaints so that all we see is the less loving side of things. We put love under piles of duty, worries, and the occasional catastrophe. However, recapturing love and enthusiasm for the simple things in life, one that came effortlessly to us as children, is important for our sense of well-being and fulfillment.
It "can be a love of conversation, love of eating, love of anything one might do, a philosophy of life that involves one's whole being. If you don’t love doing it, then do something else.”
For many of us the hustle and bustle of everyday life can wear us down to a pile of complaints so that all we see is the less loving side of things. We put love under piles of duty, worries, and the occasional catastrophe. However, recapturing love and enthusiasm for the simple things in life, one that came effortlessly to us as children, is important for our sense of well-being and fulfillment.
LOVE PROMOTES HEALTH
Love has consequences for health and well-being. Engaging in joyful activities brings a loving feeling and may activate areas in the brain responsible for emotion, attention, motivation and memory. It may also serve to stimulate stress reduction.
Is love healthy? The better we understand the biology of love and its implications, the greater our respect for love’s role in mental and physical health. Love is closely related to the concept of pleasure and ‘positive psychology’, i.e., joyful mental states.
Love, particularly in the beginning (i.e., falling in love), can sometimes be stressful. However, it still possesses stress reducing potential. By helping individuals to cope with stressful situations and, survive, love represents an essential ‘ingredient’ of a healthy and satisfying life. Reproduction and sexual behavior are just one aspect of love. Community participation, social support, family relationships and love have shown health benefits, and the absence is associated with physical and mental illnesses.
What really comprises love? Is it happiness? Is it bliss? Is it mindful living? Is it a carefree lifestyle?
Being in the feeling mode of love helps us to recognize special moments, and giving ourselves the time to savor them when they occur. This usually brings up other loving moments to reflect on, bringing joy, calmness and peace, which facilitates well-being.
Observe the love in people and find miracles and peace in everyday things. We get used to things and people being the way they are. "Taking for granted" causes us to lose sight of the love in our life: our health, our strengths, our family, our achievements, our hobbies, and the beautiful world around us. When infusing life with love, we see the familiar with new eyes.
For those wise enough to understand, love constitutes the art of living... really, truly living life, embracing it fully. Whether you call it living in the moment, or self- fulfillment, love is a quality and a feeling we can all learn to acquire.
To be healthy: Live Life Passionately! Appreciate the small things which might normally go unnoticed. Be grateful for everything you have. Don’t stress over things you can’t control/change. Make good choices which bring you joy and allow love to expand. Choose to not struggle. It does wonders for your health and wellbeing. Plus…research suggests that love may be an important predictor of longevity!
We have often heard the following at weddings:
“Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over another’s sins but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.” (1 Corinthians 13)
Enjoy this Valentine’s Day and try to make this Valentine feeling happen more often in your life.
It’s good for your health!
References:
http://time.com/4225777/meaning-of-love/
https://thoughtcatalog.com/marisa-donnelly/2016/04/36-definitions-of-love-according-to-urban-dictionary/
https:/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/contemplating-divorce/201502/how-do-you-define-love
https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/love-advanced-mode-intelligence/#ra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joie_de_vivre
https://www.wikihow.com/Capture-Joie-De-Vivre
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-levin/joie-de-vivre-how-to-find-it-and-keep-it_b_8071720.html
http://www.shareguide.com/Siegel.html
Is love healthy? The better we understand the biology of love and its implications, the greater our respect for love’s role in mental and physical health. Love is closely related to the concept of pleasure and ‘positive psychology’, i.e., joyful mental states.
Love, particularly in the beginning (i.e., falling in love), can sometimes be stressful. However, it still possesses stress reducing potential. By helping individuals to cope with stressful situations and, survive, love represents an essential ‘ingredient’ of a healthy and satisfying life. Reproduction and sexual behavior are just one aspect of love. Community participation, social support, family relationships and love have shown health benefits, and the absence is associated with physical and mental illnesses.
What really comprises love? Is it happiness? Is it bliss? Is it mindful living? Is it a carefree lifestyle?
Being in the feeling mode of love helps us to recognize special moments, and giving ourselves the time to savor them when they occur. This usually brings up other loving moments to reflect on, bringing joy, calmness and peace, which facilitates well-being.
Observe the love in people and find miracles and peace in everyday things. We get used to things and people being the way they are. "Taking for granted" causes us to lose sight of the love in our life: our health, our strengths, our family, our achievements, our hobbies, and the beautiful world around us. When infusing life with love, we see the familiar with new eyes.
For those wise enough to understand, love constitutes the art of living... really, truly living life, embracing it fully. Whether you call it living in the moment, or self- fulfillment, love is a quality and a feeling we can all learn to acquire.
To be healthy: Live Life Passionately! Appreciate the small things which might normally go unnoticed. Be grateful for everything you have. Don’t stress over things you can’t control/change. Make good choices which bring you joy and allow love to expand. Choose to not struggle. It does wonders for your health and wellbeing. Plus…research suggests that love may be an important predictor of longevity!
We have often heard the following at weddings:
“Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over another’s sins but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.” (1 Corinthians 13)
Enjoy this Valentine’s Day and try to make this Valentine feeling happen more often in your life.
It’s good for your health!
References:
http://time.com/4225777/meaning-of-love/
https://thoughtcatalog.com/marisa-donnelly/2016/04/36-definitions-of-love-according-to-urban-dictionary/
https:/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/contemplating-divorce/201502/how-do-you-define-love
https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/love-advanced-mode-intelligence/#ra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joie_de_vivre
https://www.wikihow.com/Capture-Joie-De-Vivre
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-levin/joie-de-vivre-how-to-find-it-and-keep-it_b_8071720.html
http://www.shareguide.com/Siegel.html
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