All Considering

A reader asks:

Concerning cultivation of love…when a person senses they have very little love for themselves and others, are there ways to cultivate genuine love?  (I sense that my efforts to be loving are futile because the motivation is really selfish: the actions are not real, but are done with the intent of trying to be a more loving person and are really just giving others the impression that I am loving, when actually I am only going through the motions.)

Concerning self-love: I find it a bit weird that our culture frames the inability to love others in terms of loving yourself. I mean: are you really lacking in self-love when you aren’t interested enough in others to be loving to them from some place authentic?

Other than that: the attempt is worth the effort. You will find yourself changing as you keep trying. And your acknowledgment that your motivation isn’t as pure as it could be is itself a great step in the right direction.

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Tags: kindness, love, self-love, spiritual questions