Sunshine of your Love

This is a declaration. But it is a declaration that needs to be preceded by some thought.

I feel confident in saying that the world could benefit from everyone in it being more loving. If more people made their decisions based on love, rather than greed, ambition, anger, etc., I think the world at large would be greatly improved. So, in the interest of filling the world with a bit more of "the good stuff" (no, I don't mean Jim Beam) let us have a short discussion about the nature of love.

Love is perhaps the most universally admired attribute. It is a defining feature of many, if not all, of our literary heroes, and it is the keystone of all the major religions I could think of just now. Being so important, it must have some sort of definition. Webster defines love as many things, including strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties, the score of zero (tennis), and unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. For my purposes, I am going to focus on definitions 2 and 3. Mostly 3.

Gordon B. Hinkley defined the love in a marriage relationship, as in Webster's third definition, as an anxious concern for the happiness and well being of another. Specifically, he said, "True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion." I feel that this definition of love could be broadened and applied to the vastness of the human race. If we all thought more about how we could help our neighborino, rather than how we could make our yard look better than his.... As I think about this, I can't come up with an example of applying this principle to international relations, but I think it is more of the attitude and way of thinking that matters. People who have an external focus tend to make decisions that are the most beneficial to all involved parties. Love, I guess, is a kindness and unselfishness of action.

So, now that we have a rudimentary understanding of how I personally view love (incidentally, my ego believes that everyone should think this way) I can continue on to my declaration.

I am going to be more loving.

Yes, I am going to be more loving. I am going to think more about other people than myself. Or that's the plan anyway. But I am not going to simply say, "I love you" more often. I am actually going to be more loving. I am going to act. I am going to make time to listen, really listen, when people talk to me. I am going to continue to do all the little things I do around my house to keep in nice looking, because I love my roommates. I am going to act on all those thoughts I have. You know the ones. Like when you think, "I should get a flower for Sarah" or "I should write a letter to Grandma."

Hopefully, putting this in writing will put it in my head. And hopefully, I'll be able to have an effect on the world around me. And hopefully, I'll leave the world a little brighter.