Love is the Supreme Emotion
Let’s Celebrate Love!
“To put it in a nutshell, love is the momentary upwelling of three tightly interwoven events: first, a sharing of one or more positive emotions between you and another; second, a synchrony between your and the other person’s biochemistry and behaviors; and third, a reflected motive to invest in each other’s well-being that brings mutual care.”
Positive emotions expert, Barbara Fredrickson, calls this trio of events positivity resonance. It’s like the warm and fuzzy glue that keeps us connected. The potential for love is limitless. Love is not only the feeling you get when you are with loved ones, it’s the release of emotion you get when you encounter a baby animal and think or say “awww”. That feeling is called a micro-moment. As living things, we change by the moment and adapt as we encounter each other sharing positive emotions and mutual caring. The research suggests that we learn and practice new ways to bring more micro-moments of love into our lives. These moments actually alter biochemistry and lead to a greater investment in each other’s well-being because love is energized from the good feelings experienced through interactions and connections with others. Ahhh, to love and be loved! Love can be strengthened. Whether you exude love 24-7, or walk around like a sour puss, it is available to all of us. Take time to celebrate a loving micro-moment. Practice and your health and your connections will deepen.
There is value in having a warm heart. Expand your perspective to include more ways to share caring and concern with others. This understanding of love is about humanitarian love at a time when it is needed. Tired of negativity and getting sucked in to only one perspective? Choose hope; we can unite and move forward through love. If we each align with the true purpose of love itself, which is to offer a glimpse, each time we connect, of peaceful oneness and connection, our experience of life will improve and we will flourish. Love is much bigger than we’ve imagined. Love has a lot of power. Expanding love is about connection, not isolation. Think of the little things that we all can do that make a difference. What opportunities can we tap for expanding love in ourselves and in the world? What are some heart-centered daily life activities that will help us to strengthen our capacity for connection? Check out “3 Ways to Strengthen a Warm Heart” for more.
Love is one of the 24 Character Strengths widely studied and common across all cultures. Is Love one of your top strengths? Roughly 70% of people are not aware of their own strengths. Visit the VIA Institute on Character for more information. If you want to see more blogs on character strengths and other positive and useful information, use the sign-up form on this website. Contact me to find the best way to assess your unique character strengths and learn how to use them optimally for greater well-being and accomplishment. http://www.viame.org