love rules

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I usually have two books going at once, one fiction and one non-fiction. Yesterday, I was scanning my bookshelf in the family room looking for something motivational/comforting/self-helpish and I spotted What Happy People Know by Dan Baker, Ph.D. I read it a few years ago, but apparently I’ve forgotten “what happy people know” because I’ve been feeling pretty blue lately. After rereading it I decided to play along with the Teaser Tuesdays Blog meme at MizB’s Should Be Reading blog. I randomly opened the book to page 94 and picked out this quote to share. “From that day on, I realized that there was something happy people know that unhappy people don’t: No matter what happens in life, there’s always something left to love, and the love that remains is always stronger than anything that goes against it.”

I like that, the idea that love rules, that the capacity of our hearts to appreciate and love unconditionally can overcome the craziness in our minds. Craziness that is almost always motivated by fear. Fear that we aren’t good enough, we aren’t loveable, fear of loss, fear that things won’t get better, fear that we are helpless to “fix” the broken pieces of our life. I think we all have to dig deep sometimes to find the courage to quiet that fear-based voice with a conscious prayer that begins and ends in gratefulness and love. My take away after reading Dr. Baker’s book again is simply this: Life is a dance and we all might be a little happier if we remember to lead with love, not fear.

17 thoughts on “love rules”

  2. Hi Lilli, This blog grabbed me because of the beautiful model of the little dancer. My beloved B is a dancer and lectures on dance. This image is her for me. She often stands like this when relaxed. I love the feel and message of your blog and will be back for a better tour later.
    I am a published writer and would love to be listed here. You can stop by my blog and see if you think I’m worthy.
    http://bit.ly/lLpWSf
    Love it is.
    Davidrory.

  4. Thank you for your post; it is quite inspirational. It is indeed comforting to know that one can be influenced in a positive manner through a few lines of prose, and in fact, that prose has the ability to profoundly effect not only our emotional state of being, but also every other aspect of our lives for the better.

    The true power of Love is magical; its essence is beyond the comprehension of the average individual. The fears that you allude to are things that we create in our own subconscious mind, which then creeps into our daily lives in the form of negative thoughts and actions. These things, however, can be overcome through the selfless giving of unconditional love and compassion for one another.

    I believe life to be both a dance, as well as a symphony where one not only leads, but also has the wherewithal to follow when necessary – all while moving in concert to the unique melodies that are inherent in the perception and interpretation of the particular musical composition one chooses to dance to.

    May you dance to your heart’s content, and may your heart be filled with joyous love!

    Best,
    Kevin

    • What a thoughtful, lovely reply Kevin. I visited your blog too and liked your vibe, positive and life affirming. People often complain about all the negative stuff on the internet but the good stuff is out there too!

  5. You picked a really beautiful quote. This really made my day. Thanks for sharing it. Also thank you for stopping by my Teaser Tuesday. Have a great day.

  7. What a great reminder to “lead with love.” I know if I can just turn my mind toward a positive thought, I can often overcome feelings of frustration, anger, and sadness. Thanks for the reminder! Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

  8. I love the quote and image, is it copyrighted ~ I would love to send it to a friend?

    I’ve read the first 30 chapters of your book now ~ it’s made me cry a lot. It’s beautiful perceptive and poignant. Having lost some important people in my own life to cancer (as well as being a cancer survivor myself) I can relate to so much of it. I have also experiend the same feeling about grandchildren ~ a love so pure and soul replenishing.
    In my first published novel (2006) about love and death and grief, I too used Sisyfus (alternative spelling Sisyphus) as imagery. The narrator is Stefan who is grieving:
    “Let me tell you about the soap opera, which is my daily life now. I wake up each day to the miserable realisation that I am caught up in a drama that I don’t seem able to escape from. I am Sisphus condemned by the “great Gods” to push a stone up hill for eternity. I trundle endlessly on with precious little hope of resolution. I am weary, tired and soul sick.”
    This novel is dedicated to my two best friends who both died of cancer, way too young.

    Jan x

    • You can use the image Jan, it’s mine, a photo from my living room last week. I can email you a larger version of it too if you like. Thank you for your kind words about my book. That’s interesting we both used Sisyphus. I wasn’t particularly familiar with that Greek myth until I wrote the book. Certainly a feeling we can all relate to at some point in our lives though, and “weary, tired and soul sick” is wonderful way of wording it.

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