What does it mean to love unconditionally? Not just to say you love unconditionally, but to actually love unconditionally in all that you do, to everyone. It’s easier to say you do so and even easier to think you are loving unconditionally, than it is to follow through and embody unconditional love. I’m certain this is a life long struggle for everyone.

What is unconditional love?

I think it really stems from serving others. To serve your friends, family, spouse, co-workers, teammates, neighbors, even complete strangers. To take yourself out of the equation fully and to think about how you can serve another…first!

I don’t think that serving another means that you have to fly across the globe to the poorest of the poor in order to serve. Not to say that isn’t a beautiful thing, though. Rather, I think loving unconditionally seeps out of your heart wherever you are. It might be a smile or a compliment you give to someone else. It might be an errand you run for someone to make their life easier. It might mean being there for the birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, and important moments in someone’s life. It might mean picking up the slack for someone at your job without grumbling about it when they are going through a hard time. It might mean, forgiving someone even when you feel you are not at fault and you are really angry. It might mean saying, “I love you,” and truly meaning it.

To love unconditionally, means to think of others before yourself. To do for others before you do for yourself. It means you don’t put conditions on your relationships.

It means you will love people exactly where they are at, even if you disagree with them.

I’ve learned that I’ve been pretty lousy at loving unconditionally throughout my life, but I want to change that.

Imagine – if everyone in the world focused on striving to love unconditionally – what that would do to all of the problems in this world. I am inclined to believe that unconditional love (serving others) would erase the problems of our world.

Choose to love unconditionally today and every day.