Love is truly all you need.

Over the past seven months I have seen many new countries, met countless wonderful souls, and spent time reflecting on my own life. Every conversation I have had and every lesson I have learned has always come back to love. Love rules all. Yet, we have lost sight of that. 

Great scholars have written about it, wars have been fought over it, art has been created from it, and children born from it. This force surrounds, engulfs, pushes, breaks, and heals us. It is not just romantic love, but also love for one’s self, love for your family, love for your passions, and love for nature.

Love is our essence and our purpose. However, we have neglected and abused it. This cruel behavior has slowly destroyed humanity and the society we will live in. Rather than follow our heart we follow a paycheck, a trend, or our ego.  We have fallen off the path and are traveling down a dangerous road.  This demise is ever-present; this world consists of too many broken people who have lost sight of who they are and where they want to go. The absence of love has caused people to harm their bodies, exploit the Earth we inhabit, and shoot innocent children at an elementary school. How far off the path do we have to stray before we realize that love can save us? 

Love is a weighted word. It holds promise, truth, and the future. It can unravel us as well as complete us. Throughout my journey I have become aware of the power and capability of love. Simply embracing the love given to you and sharing your own can renew your soul. I know how big my heart is. I have the capacity to unconditionally love the whole world; however, the brutality and distorted views of society have forced me to guard my heart.  Yet my journey has slowly allowed me to re-discover the love I have for myself.  My past, my mistakes, and my career do not define me. I am my heart and the love within it. I have realized that the amount of love I appreciate and give is directly equivalent to my happiness. 

We are in the midst of the holiday season and this is supposed to be a time of joy and giving. Yet tragedy fell upon my home country yesterday and unfortunately these inhumane acts of hate affect people in countries throughout the world every single day. Pain and death continue to plague this earth because humanity has lost sight of what truly matters. At the end of the day, we simply need to love one another. 

So remember to always be kind, extend a helping hand, and let the love in your heart be your guide and reason for every decision that you make.