Many people confuse the word love with the meaning of the word want or desire. For example, sometimes when a young man tells the woman of his dreams, I love you, when he means that he wants her because of his own selfish desires.

He’s the one that may feel all excited over her, but in reality he may want her because of her physical appearance, or because of her mentality or her ability to make him feel good or important. Notice his primary motive for pursuing her is based on himself and his desires; not on pleasing her, although he may choose to please her, but that’s only based upon the fulfillment of his wants. The same goes for a young woman, when she says to the man of her dreams, I love you, she in fact means that she wants him because of his physical appearance, status, mentality or his ability to make her feel good or important.

This usage of the word love for the meaning of the word want is ever so present in the way we use and abuse it. Since we are selfish creatures, and our understanding of love is to first be pleased, look at how this word is overused. · I love Papa John’s pizza. · I just love Gone with the Wind. · I loved Titanic. · I love Jazz Music. · I love Beethoven. · I love The Island of Dr. Moreau. To better understand the concept of love, lets define the value of love. Love is the most valuable commodity in the world.

We all need love just like a fish needs water. Without love, life would not be worth living. With love in our lives, we are empowered beyond belief. Without love in our lives we will shrivel up and die a slow, painful and lonely death. Love is the very essence and core of our being. It is the energy that sustains who and what we are. Everyone in life has a deep-rooted desire to love and be loved. Many times people only recognize love in its emotional form.

Ideally, we should also be able to love people who we don’t particularly like or find attractive. This is not as unreasonable as it may sound, if we understand that love is not just a feeling, but it is expressed when we do something for another person that benefits their spiritual and emotional growth, which in turn helps them realize their full human potential.