Skip to main content

Love means to see the one you love happy

Every day is a new beginning to celebrate one's love. 

 Yet some uncomfortable questions arise: 

  • How open are we to love? 
  • Do we take the one we love for granted?
  • Is there something that can be done to bring happiness to yourself and the person you love? 
  • Sometimes, can letting go be the best option? 

Love - a much maligned, abused word. How many times have we heard it, said it and not meant it? Billion? Zillion? Or have you hesitated to say it at all? Or maybe you are one of the lucky ones who have experienced love in a most beautiful way? Good for you! That is the way it should be.
But if you have been let down by some one you love, don't let it define the rest of your life or make you feel worthless. Far from it - you have learned something and you WILL move on to a happier self though it may not seem evident at the time. Remember this, no matter what happens: Nothing is permanent - not even our troubles. 


How to love with all the passion and truth in you? Here's what I believe works best: Mean what you say. Say what you mean. That's the only way to demonstrate love.

 And for me personally, this is my favorite definition of love and it's from none other than Nicholas Sparks: "Love means to see the one you love happy. True love means that you care for another's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be."

 Over to you - how do you define love in your life? Is there a quote, an expression or experience that brings you closer to your quest for love? Do share it here. I'd love to know.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

KParthasarathi said…
I agree with the quote you gave at the end.
I would define true love as merging of two selfless hearts living for the other without expectations other than love.But if you dissect love too much its beauty is lost.
February 2, 2014 at 8:46 AM
SoulSpace said…
Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves her. By his love he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees that which is potential in her, which is not yet actualized but yet ought to be actualized. Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize these potentialities. By making him aware of what he can be and of what he should become, he makes these potentialities come true. — P.111-112

A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth — that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still knows bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. — P.37

These are from Viktor Frankl's Man in Search of Meaning

For me He says it all
February 11, 2014 at 12:52 AM
vinny said…
Completely agree with what Sowmya has shared from Victor Frankl's book 'Man's search for meaning'.

Remembered a story about a family living alone in a deserted, snowy place. The mother starved herself so that her children and husband could eat the few grains that grew in the little fertile patch they had built. She died soon after.

Love is the only emotion that can make our lives worthwhile, even if it is for a short span.
March 1, 2014 at 7:26 PM
Swapna Raghu Sanand said…
@KP Parthasarathi - Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, much appreciated.

@Sowmya Srinivasan - I have no words!Because I have just completed reading Viktor Frankl's Man in Search of Meaning. Like you have written here, those exact words overwhelmed me beyond words. It is just so simple, deep and touches a chord within us. That is the absolute truth of life which he captured from living a life of torture in a concentration camp!

Hats off to you Sowmya for taking out time to share this INSPIRING quote here.

@Vinaya I know Vinaya and that is a lovely story you shared here too.

Man's eternal quest is not for happiness or riches or pleasure but to find that love that makes his life worthwhile. I truly believe that love can be in any form and in any scale. For some, it could be an individual. For others, such as Mother Teresa, it could be love that is practiced at a greater scale. Whatever the form or scale, I believe that it is love alone that makes our life meaningful and worthwhile.
May 24, 2014 at 2:45 PM
Post a Comment

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...
181 comments
Read more

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v...
1 comment
Read more

The Secret Wishlist by Preeti Shenoy

Have you ever been banished from your parents' good books because of a secret kiss when you were just sixteen? [READ: Why Japanese Fiction is Becoming my Favourite] Did you spend nearly all your life trying to win back the trust and approval of your parents for that one mistake you made? Have you regretted your marriage that your parents rushed you into and you agreed out of sheer guilt?  Have you ever made a secret wishlist with something like "have sex with someone other than husband" on it?  Yes or no, don't miss reading  Preeti Shenoy 's recently released novel titled 'The Secret Wishlist.'  From page one, you are bound to get pulled into Diksha's loveless marriage, her constant adjustments to Sandeep, a husband who expects everything to be done to suit his preference at all times and her need to feel valued as a person. There are so many instances when you would simply grit your teeth and wish that her boor of a husba...
15 comments
Read more

Power of Hanuman's Work

As you start work - here's a question for you - are you disciplined about how you work and what you do every day? From dawn to dusk, we work - all of us are engaged in some task or another. Many tend to work almost on autopilot. Happens, doesn't it? Sometimes, we engage in activities that may not be of use to us and results in waste of time. Distractions trouble us - it could be a colleague talking loudly in the phone, and we may do the same too, without realising we are distracting others at work.                                        ( Source: Radio Sai.org) Often, we are not conscious of how this impacts the quality of our work and time, not to mention our energy and attitude to work. The way we work reflects in the minds of our children. They watch us and we barely realise what they imbibe. Now life wasn't easy for our elders - in fact, they had none of the comforts that we do today...
Post a Comment
Read more

Significance of Vidyarambham: What is the literal translation of Ezhuthiniruthu?

Vidyarambham 2019 will forever remain one of my happiest moments of the year.   Growing up, the festival of Vijayadashami is linked to my happiest memories with my cousins and parents, a remembrance of piping hot prasadam and books that are carefully wrapped and labelled and then, placed in the puja room. [READ: How and Why Malayalis celebrate Vidyarambham]                                                [Image: Pixabay] Believe it or not, three times a day, a puja would be conducted at home. Those were the days when we didn't have domestic help as an integral part of inside kitchen chores. This meant that everyone pitched in. Yes, it seems almost unthinkable nowadays.   Back then, all family members would gather and pitch in for cooking and cleaning and so on.   A sense of togetherness is what made the festival so special. ...
Post a Comment
Read more