Spirituality and Health Promotion Behaviors #13: What is love?

How do we know if a friend is just a companion or someone we truly love? If we first define love, we can use our definition as a starting point to knowing the truth in our relationships.

What is love? This is a question to think about. There is no right or wrong answer. Each of us is unique and our experiences will lead us to define love differently. However, to be useful as a guide post in life, our definition of love should be concise.

Can you complete the following sentence using 5 words?

Love is ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ .

You may have to try many times before you arrive at your answer. Each time a potential definition arises, test it by asking if it accurately describes the love that has been clearly demonstrated by the people that you can always depend on and are closest to, e.g. your mother, best friend, sibling or pet?

If we can define love for ourself, we will be more at peace in the way we handle our relationships, because we know the extent that it has developed and can better estimate its potential.

When we cannot decide whether to admit someone into our special circle of 'loved ones', we can start by asking if the relationship falls under our definition of love.

Spirituality and Health Promotion Behaviors #12: Music

The only thing that can send a shiver down the spine without fear is good music. Most of us would know this universal language. It speaks to us in a way we cannot explain. It is thus important for our well-being to listen to good music.

Like our choice of food, our preference for music varies with our tastes. I may like jazz while you prefer pop. Yet like diet, we should be discerning in the music we fill our minds with. It is more uplifting to listen to clear compositions and positive lyrics than to be drown in noise and depressing verses.

If you have the opportunity to do so, learn a musical instrument. It adds a unique touch to our personalities and gives us a means to express ourselves where words fail us. Just singing in the shower can also help to rejuvenate our cluttered minds and inject timeless beauty into our lives.