BREAK THE ‘UNLOVED’ CHAIN

Considering the day that’s in it, St Valentine’s Day, I’m going to deviate away from running and talk about love. It’s not my usual A game. But I have some nuggets worth sharing and I know not everyone is feeling the love today.

Firstly, love must come primarily from within. In other words, you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. How can you give something away that you don’t possess? It’s not easy to be logical when it comes to love, but take a few seconds to read that last sentence again and take stock of it.

Secondly, the level of love you pos- sess will be influenced by the level of love you have received during your life. It is a barometer, but certainly not a limiter! For example, the level of love received from parents and family. Were you satisfied with what you received?

Imagine feeling unloved in your family. Maybe you wanted more love and feel disappointed. Perhaps you have carried this disappointment for a long time. But your parents may have received even less love from their parents, so as far as they are concerned, they gave you all the love they knew and more. They exceeded the measure of what they received. They did their best; they gave you love at their maximum capacity.

If you are unsure, I suggest you ask your parents about their childhoods. Throw in some questions about love. This could be an enlightening conversation – it could be groundbreaking in your relationship with them.

So what can you do with this new outlook? You can break the ‘unloved’ chain and give love unconditionally to yourself and others. Unlike the 12 red roses given on Valentine’s Day, love will never wither if it is better understood and then nurtured. Eoin Ryan – Life Coach