Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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August 14, 2007

Unconditional Love

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 6:12 am

Can we talk about . . .

unconditional love.

Unconditional love is like a package that comes without strings. I arrives without asking, delivered on a breeze. No invoice is ever written. No charge is ever made. It’s so softly sent that it can go unnoticed as if it didn’t exist.

Unconditional love seeks no reward, no response, no glory for its gift. It sees the reality of a whole human as he or she lives. The dirty socks on the floor and the ringed milk glass in the sink don’t change the astounding feeling of love for the heart who has done these small worldly things.

It’s the opposite of indifference. Indifference has no soul.

It’s surrender to another the way one surrenders to music or art.

Unconditional love is patient, brave, and relentlessly disarmed.

I’ve seen it. I know.

Unconditional love begins when we stop to understand that I hurt me when I hurt you.

It’s believing that inside the happiness of others is where we will find our own.

What does it take to let go?

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23 Comments to “Unconditional Love”

  1. August 14th, 2007 at 7:33 am
    Zakman said

    The first thing that I found when I did a little bit of soul searching, was my love for my mother. Come what may, I will love her.

    Then again… I think it falls outside the category of ‘unconditional love’… cause there’s a sense of self there, and hence, conditional. There’s the attachment that Nature has given.

    From there on, unconditional love must be something to give to a total stranger, knowing that you’ll never again meet him or her.

    Getting complicated here… is that love or care or charity?… I don’t know.

    As Liz says here, indifference has no soul. And let me add this if I may: indifference is cynical. It neither respects nor identifies any kind of love.

    And oh yeah, you got to have the guts to love anyone.

    And that kind of guts don’t fall from the sky… it is a by-product of integrity and unconditonal love, I think. I may be wrong.

  2. August 14th, 2007 at 7:36 am
    Karin H. said

    What does it take to let go?

    Practise, respect for received unconditional love, understanding - intuitive or ‘light-bulb’ moment - that it is there for us and in us.

    Takes a while, but most will learn in the end.

    ;-)

    Karin H.

  3. August 14th, 2007 at 8:10 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Zakman,
    Unconditional love is a hard thing for any human to live by because it means looking past our own needs. It’s still something to look toward becoming.

    I think unconditional love is meant for everyone. Yes I do.

  4. August 14th, 2007 at 8:12 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    It is learned and takes both strength and vulnerability. I agree. I sure hope you’re right that most of us will learn in the end.

  5. August 14th, 2007 at 8:16 am
    Karin H. said

    that most of us will learn in the end.

    That’ll happen when those who have learned keep ‘leading’ by example, never afraid to give, unconditional.

    Karin H.

  6. August 14th, 2007 at 8:20 am
    Codswallop said

    I have unconditional love for my parents and brothers. But that love started when I was a child and it didn’t surprise me or even registered as something different. But as adults we learn that the world isn’t all cotton candy and we don’t give our love freely.

    But boy was I shocked when my first child was born. The intensity of it. I would give him every thing, forgive him anything. That is for me unconditional love.

  7. August 14th, 2007 at 8:21 am
    Pamir said

    Unconditional love starts with the individual feeling it inside, accepting & loving themselves first. It’s from that healthy & whole foundation that the balm of unconditioned love can spread to others.

    http://oasisreiki.blogspot.com/2007/08/ever-present-love.html

  8. August 14th, 2007 at 8:26 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    We just have to give up our expectations. Don’t we?

  9. August 14th, 2007 at 8:26 am
    Robyn said

    Liz, so much more unconditional love is needed, not only in our world, but in our families, too. Thanks for the reminder!

  10. August 14th, 2007 at 8:32 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Pamir!
    I agree. We need a solid foundation and sense of self to be able to give unconditional love to another.

  11. August 14th, 2007 at 9:40 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Codswollop!
    Wow! What a beautiful definition of unconditional love you give when you talk about your son. It’s inspiring. :)

  12. August 14th, 2007 at 9:52 am
    Andreas Mamet said

    Unconditional love self-arises spontaneously when our consciousness is so extremely expanded that the other merely stands inside of our consciousness. Then, when we look into the eyes of the other, we simply and solely see our very own being. While the practice of unconditinal love is commendable and indeed of merit, it will probably break if put to severe tests, because the practice is personality based, even though soul-inspired.

    Therefore, it is even of greater importance to activate the expansion of our consciousness to a point where unconditional love is merely a by-product, just like the flower does not pursue the goal of smelling sweet, but rather strives to find its blooming. Its scent then is just a wonderful by-product … of its flowering.

  13. August 14th, 2007 at 10:25 am
    Mike said

    Unadulterated Gratitude

  14. August 14th, 2007 at 10:42 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Andreas!
    Your words will be with me all day. Just as my writing was a striving to find meaning, your comment became a wonderful byproduct I could discover. Thank you.

  15. August 14th, 2007 at 10:43 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike,
    Yes. Thank you. :)

  16. August 14th, 2007 at 10:44 am
    Mike said

    It works for me…

    Your story at Letting Me Be really choked me up. Thank YOU so much for that.

    Mike

  17. August 14th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike!
    Thank you for saying so. I guess you understand why I named it “The Definition of Love.” I guess that one is a bit of the definition of who I am as well. :)

  18. August 14th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
    Mike said

    Liz,

    Both definitions came across beautifully! ;-)

    Mike

  19. August 14th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike!
    Thank you. :)

  20. August 14th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
    John Benage said

    To begin, Thanks Liz and each and everyone who has provided comment here today…You see this is a special day for my spouse and I. Today, we are married 25 years.

    The thoughts that each of you have brought on unconditional love are so easily related to our quater of a century together…neither ever taking the other for granted and yet, neither ever doubting or mistrusting the other. Do we disagree? often. Do get angry at each other? of course. But love is giving, it is ‘for’ giving and forgiving. This has truly been 25 years of day-in and day-out unconditional love.

    As I read all of the Liz’ words and the comments that followed, I kept hearing the words of author, John Donne:

    “Any man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind. And, therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee.”

    But, is this more than or different from “unconditional” love? Perhaps it is what has been called “disinterested” love.

    Thanks for the journey,
    John

  21. August 14th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi John!
    Happiest Anniversary!
    A quarter of a century is a history together! Unconditional love for 25 years is a blessing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this joyful day in your life. :)

  22. August 15th, 2007 at 12:10 am
    Codswallop said

    Hi Liz,

    Thanks. It’s me! (yoav :)). I am following some sage advice and unifying my handle?!? (name) all over the blogosphere.

    So from now on, I will be posting as Codswallop. But it’s still me.

    -Yoav (Codswallop)

  23. August 15th, 2007 at 5:51 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Yoav/Codswallop,
    Sorry I misspelled your name earlier. I should known from the power of your response to your son that it was you. Hearts that strong are rare. :)

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