Love is probably one of the most frequently used words in the world. We use it in many contexts and for many purposes. We do all sorts of things in the name of love.

But do we really know what love is? Many think this is the strongest, most important emotion. The healing agent, the catalyst for all sorts of healing. And it is to some degree. It can bring us so much joy and happiness. And it can also be painful and hurtful.

There is one territory of love that I would like to address tonight specifically. I am sure you know this territory very well because it has been dominantly present in the atmosphere of growth and healing and change for the last couple of decades. This is the territory of love for the self.

How many of you have heard or read or been advised by this statement; You just need to love yourself?

I know I have been. And I know it is not so easy.

Why?

I can list many reasons, but one pops up for me. This reason is called kindness. It is in the lap of kindness that we find true love. I am asking you what is love without kindness.

I see love as a very personal meaning that involves our engagement in life that has a specific direction. Where kindness is softer, more openhearted, and more impersonal. Kindness is woven into us and is one of the basic elements that the universe is made of. We are made out of kindness and with kindness.

In modern society, achievements are overrated and very unclear because of a lot of misconceptions. The truth is that we all like the feeling of achieving. But when achieving becomes one of the main if not the most important drives in our lives we are in a lot of trouble. Why? When we talk about achievements it looks pretty natural that we also talk about goals. What are we achieving if we don't have the goal(s) that we (or others) have set for ourselves to achieve? The binding of goals and achievements together into an inseparable bundle is only half of the truth. What more is there in this seemingly forever-married couple? Let us explore this together. In our last Come Closer event we touched on the universal dimension of desire. But when we talk about goals and achievements, we talk about something very personal. When we achieve something, when we reach the goal, it lifts us up (at least most of the time). Sometimes is like taking a drug, being on speed, can be enchanting. And this can become a great trap. If we put achievements and goals too high, if we give them too much credit, we can become slaves to them. Goals and achievements can become the most important thing in our lives or at least more important than other important things. We can lose our sense of gravity, boundary, when to stop, and when to rest. A lot of burn-out cases are happening because of that. We forget about the path. We forget about other goodies. Our vision narrows into a tunnel. Have any of you had that experience in your life?

Humans tend to believe that desire is personally owned. The truth is it is not. The truth is that desire is a force of nature, it is a cosmic/universal quality that is present and working independently and at the same time is inherently present in every cell of our body, in each tiniest particle of the universe. It is this force that makes a seed sprout and grows into a tree or carrot or a wonderful rose. It is this force that helps semen find an egg to fertilize it so it can grow and develop into a new life (human or animal). It is this force that makes a stone to be a stone that defies time and weather.

Come Closer and explore this topic with us.