I believe that a loving life is a carefree life too. Hence I’d like to share what I recently read from Little Buddha about Experience the Kind of Love You See in the Movies. You all may know about the ways and have been practising them, but no harm summarising here (and I particularly like the last part! –The goal isn’t a happy ending. It’s to live a happier story. And that starts with how well we love.), the 5 ways are….
1. Save the cat.
We can all create a better, more loving world by looking for these “save the cat” moments.
It’s when you step in to defend someone who’s being bullied, or grab an extra sandwich for the homeless person sitting outside, or take a little time out of your busy day to help someone who’s struggling—with anything; homework, a heavy bag, or a heavy heart.
The best way to experience love is to be willing to give it. We can do this every day—no field of flowers required.
2. See the good in people.
In a world where we’re constantly bombarded with bad news, it’s easy to become jaded. It’s tempting to assume the worst in people and live behind a metaphorical suit of armor, ever ready for someone to do something that justifies our cynicism.
But when we constantly look for the worst in others, we miss out on the best.
If we want to see a world of beauty, hope, and kindness, we need to be willing to look for these things.
This doesn’t mean we should ignore the harsh realities of life; if we want to create positive change, we need to be willing to acknowledge what needs changing.
It just means we open our eyes to see those “save the cat” moments when they happen. People do good things every day. If we want to nurture a loving heart, we have to recognize and appreciate them.
3. Inspire the best in others.
We’re all drawn to people with visions—people who put other people before profits, people for whom integrity is more important than notoriety.
When someone stands for something good—something that benefits not just that person individually, but the world are large—it touches something inside us, and motivates us to devote ourselves to a purpose that can help create a better world.
Choose a purpose—aspire to make a difference, no matter how big or small, and you will.
4. Check your ego.
To truly feel fulfilled, we need to set goals that reflect not only what we want to gain, but what we want to give.
I used to think “you get what you give” referred to reciprocity, but I now know this means that the giving itself is the getting. If you’ve ever experienced profound joy after helping someone else, you know this too.
5. Believe in love.
Love might not be a fairy tale, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real, and available to all of us if we’re open to it.
Believing in love doesn’t mean people won’t ever disappoint or hurt us. It doesn’t mean pretending we’re not all flawed, prone to mistakes, and sometimes blind to our weaknesses.
It means believing that people have as much potential for selflessness as selfishness.
It means knowing there are people out there who will treat us with care, kindness, and respect—friends, family members, romantic partners—if only we give them the chance.
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I still like to think of my life like a movie, but not because I’m waiting for someone to ride off into the sunset with me.
I think of my life like a movie because I want to be inspired. I want to be kind, I want to see the best in people, and I want to do my part to create the kind a world where we all inspire the best in each other.
The goal isn’t a happy ending. It’s to live a happier story. And that starts with how well we love.