For as long as I can remember, I’ve agreed with the popular cultural sentiment that “time is our greatest currency”. Time is a finite number when we consider the years that we have in a lifetime, and therefore, is a currency that runs out and is precious based on its’ scarcity.
With the Presidency of Trump and the surgency of racial wars and nationalism coupled with the socioeconomic divide widening, both darkness and destructiveness are making headway in the era we’re entering — “the nuclear age”.
At this time, I no longer think that time is our greatest currency. My overwhelming conviction instead, is that love is our greatest currency.
Love is not a scarce resource but one of abundance. It just requires some deep work and a willingness of presence in order to access it. In my article “The Chaos Theory & Love”, I argued that Trump’s Executive Order on the immigration ban made me realize that the antidote to all fear is love.
But where do we learn love?
There are no “schools” or training camps for love. The majority of us often learn how to love from our families, and then through our friends and perhaps romantic relationships. But if one cannot learn love through their friends and family, where then, can one access love?
In one of Shakespeare’s plays, he believed that love was exponential, and that it became bigger and more expansive over time: “My generosity to you is as limitless as the sea, and my love is as deep. The more love I give you, the more I have. Both loves are infinite.” (Romeo & Juliet)
What we need is an acknowledgement that many people are truly suffering.
Many are turning to mindless addictions in search of true intimacy and the experience of love, or repressing themselves from feeling it as they’re convinced that life is easier without it based on unprocessed emotions and events.
Western culture prioritizes the intellect and materials over the heart and many scoff or find talking about love embarrassing and sometimes, downright shameful. But what we really need is a shift in consciousness on this intangible and expansive thing called love that is the cure to fear, darkness and destruction. We’re entering a new era in which the ability to destroy through nuclear weapons is more powerful than our need as a species to survive and create.
The world needs healing now more than ever. And perhaps all of us could add more of this infinite resource into our lives, and help heal the world by asking ourselves this one question every day:
Am I adding more love into the world today or detracting love from the world by my actions and words?
With even the smallest of actions, we can share love with even a a stranger by giving them a warm smile, or a kind word — and that may encourage them to do the same.
While there are no training camps for love, we can be part of the solution and create a world where an exponential amount of love flourishes and chips away at the darkness. We can be more intentional and make stronger choices about how we spend our time and energy and how we show up in everyday conversations.
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You can follow me on Medium. Much love to you all.