How One Sentence Can Change
Not Only Every Individual Life:
But the Whole World!
The one sentence critical to each person’s individual internal development and lasting happiness is an objective and experience-based definition of the word LOVE.
Real Love is giving energy, interest and attention for the innocent purpose of first understanding, and then nurturing all that we love.
There are six dimensions of complex life experiences identified in this one sentence.
The first dimension is Giving.
Most people do not understand how to give internal experiences like energy, interest and attention.
Normally, we want to get external things like security, sex, money, and pleasantly stimulating or exciting and pleasurable experiences. We also want to just “feel good” about ourselves, and usually assume that if we get everything we want we will be happy, but then fail to observe people who have everything, and yet never seem to get enough, and always want more.
The problem with getting what we want is that we are focused on external gratifications, while what we need are internal fulfillments—like the competence to understand and nurture, and the ability to pursue truth, experience beauty, and develop wisdom. Even after a lifetime of getting everything we want, there is always an emptiness inside that pathetically wonders, “Is this all there is?”
By contrast, after a lifetime of giving interest, energy and attention, we are filled-up with conscious and meaningful experiences that have taught, touched and changed us. In the process, we have made ourselves internally complete by mastering the ability to express love, pursue truth, experience beauty and develop wisdom.
Now, at the end of our lifespan we are fulfilled, and while we may leave life reluctantly, we are at peace knowing we have lived as fully and completely as humanly possible.
The second dimension is giving Energy, Interest and Attention.
In normal life we are so busy getting approval, security, success, pleasure and distraction, we never possess a drop of understanding, love, or wisdom. Often, we are not even aware of our own experience.
We must learn how to give energy, interest, and attention to just be aware of our own experience—which is defined in part by the facts of each moment, what the facts mean, how we respond, and the consequences we create.
One reward for giving energy, interest and attention is that we come to understand ourselves, life, and other people. We also learn how to absorb every part of the mysterious experience of just being alive, and become competent to nurture all that we love.
The third and fourth dimensions are defined by “Innocent” and “Purpose.
Modern life is often so manipulative and outcome oriented that most people do not think “innocence” still exists. It is also true that innocence has never been popular with human beings, and in today’s internet and business dominated world, innocence has all but disappeared.
Nonetheless, we all need to give energy, interest and attention delivered with an innocent purpose, which means that we give freely, with no outcome in mind, and no expectation of reciprocity. This means we offer a real, no strings attached, genuine gift.
In addition to being innocent, we all need to give energy, interest and attention that is purposeful—only our purpose needs to be defined by an innocent desire to understand.
What are selfish reasons for giving energy, interest and attention for the innocent purpose of wanting to understand? For one, in mastering these basic skills we learn how to feed all real needs: and two, we fulfill our uniquely human potentials to Understand, Care, Master, Create and Contribute.
Another lasting reward for giving energy, interest and attention is that we develop a deep consciousness, caring, and internal competence we get to keep inside ourselves forever.
There is little more pathetic and sad than passing through an entire lifetime and never develop even a small portion of love and wisdom—consciousness and caring.
The fifth dimension is Understanding.
We often confuse understanding with explanations, judgments, conclusions, beliefs, ideas, or feelings.
Real understanding requires that we focus on one topic, observe facts, ask intelligent questions, and develop a desire to see what is true–no matter how painful: like when the truth contradicts our beliefs and feelings, or adds extra tasks and responsibilities we need to acknowledge and accept.
Understanding by itself is useless unless we use it to nurture ourselves, other people, and Nature. Insight without application is always just an impotent intention that serves only to frustrate, never nurture.
The sixth dimension is Nurturing.
Nurturing requires that we first understand internal needs, potentials and developmental tasks. Only after we acquire a detailed understanding can we competently nurture ourselves, the people around us, and Nature.
Nurturing, which begins with giving energy, interest and attention, must always be a gift, we can never expect to get anything back or it ceases to be nurturing, and instead, becomes a quid pro quo business deal—no longer satisfying for anyone.
The seventh dimension is putting it all together in one seamless expression of real love!