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Born in the US, raised on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, lived in Italy, the US, and Canada. Lover of language, travel, colour, and the natural world.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Potential of love

"Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees that which is potential in him, which is not yet actualized but yet ought to be actualized. Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize these potentialities. By making him more aware of what he can be and of what he should become, he makes these potentialities come true." -Victor Frankl
I read Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning this past week and came across a number of quotes that really struck me deeply, this being one of them. I will share a few more with you in the coming days. I have been working on trying to implement this more in my life with people who I do not get. People whose world perspective I find challenging. People whose political stance I might normally find offensive, and people who come across as rude or unkind. It is shedding new light on my world and how I relate to those around me, and I kinda love the result. 
Wherever you are and whatever you are up to this weekend, I send you love from the windy, crunchy leaf-strewn land of northern California! Have a great Saturday, friends! 

1 comment:

  1. this is profoundly true and wonderful to read! the first thought that came to me is that this is how God uses me in this world. somehow i love people, especially kids, and now that i'm in africa, it is at its highest expression or capacity.. this quote explains part of the mystery of Love which, as we know from the Baha'i Writings, is the greatest force in this world of existence. i have witnessed this awakening of potential but haven't been able to express it like this. i do feel that this is what is happening when the rays of love are focused toward other souls, especially children's. thank you for another great post. :)

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