Unconditional Love Transforms

"You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give.
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have.
I give you thanks for receiving it's my priveledge
And you owe me nothing in return.

This is the only kind of love as I understand it that there really is."
- "You Owe Me Nothing," Alannis Morissette

We all like to profess that we have unconditional love for certain people in our lives...most notably our children. But I recognize within myself that when I love someone, I naturally desire their love in return. Alannis challenges me in this song to wonder if love offered for the sake of returns is truly love at all. I am not referring to loving someone who causes you pain, or spending undue resources or time on a love that is unhealthy. I am speaking of loving those that deserve your love, those you have chosen to love, without evaluating their response to it.

Perhaps loving is the end to itself...regardless of whether or not it is returned. We all have different capacities for love and for its expressions. Should we limit our love to others based on their capacity to return our love in the way that we might like?

Food for Thought: How much love would you allow yourself to show for others if you did not care whether or not they returned the sentiment? Could that love change your circumstances in a positive way?

Proactive Inspiration Challenge: Today, find one person in your life that you love, but have neglected to tell them enough or ever...and tell them you care about them without expecting any response.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIp1ASX43vo