As a child, the power to love quickly appears to be something we naturally have. Somewhere in the chaos of life and as we grow older, it starts to become more difficult to love as quickly and easily. Maybe it is the fact that we have learned and felt a variety of negative feelings we do not want to feel. We try to protect ourselves from being hurt, but without the pain of life, then we will not grow. Whether you have been bullied, heartbroken, or labeled an outcast. These things can make you cold and want to hide your love away.  The ability to love does not come easy to all, but everyone can learn how to love.

A few years back, I learned a great lesson from a small business owner at the dog park. I was at my local dog park with my puppy Scarlet when we met a guy named John. John was a regular at the dog park and would bring his dog, Heidi, every day around lunchtime. John owned a small grocery store In Shelton, CT, just down the road from the park. Depending on my schedule, I would often see him when I took Scarlet to the park.

One day, John and I were at the dog park with our dogs. The dogs were close in age and got along well. I had Scarlet since she was eight weeks old, and John had his dog as a puppy. He went on to tell me that Heidi would be a service dog and would be taking the test in a few months to see if she passed the service dog qualifications. I had asked him if he was sad about giving up his dog. He replied, “Heidi is not the first dog I trained to be a service dog. I also thought it would be difficult at first, but once you understand that they will do service and make someone’s life better, it becomes easier to let them go.” He said that doing this taught him how to love quicker because he knew he only had a set amount of time with the dog and wanted to ensure he did not waste any time being passive. I think that John’s thought of loving quickly spread throughout his life, not just with his dog.

To love quickly, I thought. Today, his words still ring in my ears with the words to love quicker. So often, we let life take over, and we lose focus on the essential things. We might forget about our parents or past relationships until we are reminded of them. The ability to love quickly and truly is something we lose while we are growing up, but it is something we can get back with conscious effort. As a kid, I can remember loving things so fast, but I did not love things the same way as time went on. These things were just there, and I might have liked them, but it wasn’t that same unconditional love that John had for Heidi.

With this thought in my head, I knew I had to start appreciating life. Not just my own but the people I kept around me. I had to cherishing every moment I had with the people in my life because tomorrow is never promised and today is always a blessing. Why would you not want to love quickly? If you are afraid to get hurt, you are limiting yourself from feeling the power you get from love. You do not have to love a dog or another person this way, but you should learn to love yourself.

My yoga teacher shared a wonderful thought when class was winding down one day. She said to take a moment and name all the people you love and care about in your life. She went on to say how these people should make your life fuller and a better place with their presence. After that, she said to retake a look at the list. Are you on it? I was set back when she said that. I was not on the list of people I loved. I knew I loved myself because I would do things to stay in shape by eating healthy and exercising, but I did not acknowledge that I loved myself.

I made a conscious effort to keep my cup full of love from that day on. It is not something I show openly, but by passively being around me, you can feel it emanating from my being and actions. I started to use the power of mantras to learn how to love myself deeper. To do that, I would look into my eye in the mirror each morning and each night, and I told myself, “I love you.” The power of this mantra allowed me to self-love and growth to dig deeper and push harder to get the results I wanted in life.

Learning to self-love and grow and learning to love quickly can jump-start your mind makeover. The act of loving quickly will allow you to appreciate the people in your life now. If you have ever taken someone for granted, the act of loving quickly will aid in helping you to see their value today so that you do not squander the time you have with them at that moment. Also, once you start to understand that loving yourself is as important as cherishing every moment, then you will start to value the results you have in your life. Rumi said, “What you seek is seeking you.” Let us learn to love and seek it. The love we seek does not come from another person but from ourselves within. Love yourself quickly and thoroughly starting today, and watch your world evolve into the reality you wish.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts