"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Lao Tzu
This is deep. I can attest that having the unconditional love of another person (family or not) gives you strength. You feel like you're not alone in this world. And maybe you can face another day. Plus it makes you feel warm and fuzzy! Also, loving someone else unconditionally does take courage! It's not easy. It does not mean love someone when things are all rosy. It means all the time. Through the tough times.
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Have you ever noticed when you hold a grudge, you feel literally heavy? It weighs you down. Some say you cannot be at your best as long as a part of you is mad at someone else. I believe this to be true. More often than not, it is not the person you hate. It's that you feel hurt.
"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world" - Lucille Ball
I am so glad I remembered this quote for this post. I probably should have put it first. Loving yourself first is vital to loving anyone else. How can you give away love if you don't have any inside of yourself? What happens when you squeeze an orange? Orange juice comes out. So if you don't have love inside of you, and you get squeezed, what comes out?
"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thinks about that for a second. Let it marinate. This goes back to holding grudges as well. People only get deeply disappointed because they care deeply. Remember that when someone gets upset at you. Before you get defensive. Maybe it's out of love.