Universal Love

Love is more than a feeling. More than an emotion. Even more than a state of awareness, a way of being with the world, of seeing yourself and others.

Love is the cosmic current underpinning the universe. We are part of a universe that profoundly loves itself, down to the most fundamental aspect of reality: the universal consciousness.

And it is the love from that universal consciousness that is the current of Universal Love.

But let’s start somewhere more grounded, shall we?

Universal vs. unconditional Love

There is a profound beauty about the nature of unconditional love. It is an expression that we will love others no matter what.

Unfortunately, that ‘no matter what’ part has proven to be somewhat of an abuse vector, a way for some people to manipulate others through harm. Unconditional love has become weaponized, because its very nature gives an excuse to argue against boundaries—for boundaries are inherently conditional.

In Love First, we practice Universal love rather than unconditional love, precisely to protect the sacred importance of boundaries. As Prentis Hemphill said perfectly:

Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.

So boundaries are not an obstacle to love, but rather a mechanism for it. Boundaries allow us to love each other without harm.

Universal love encompasses unconditional love and embraces its fundamental principle; it just provides a protective wrapper around it. So there is no real ‘versus’ between the two; Universal love is unconditional love… plus boundaries.

But Universal love goes a little further in its definitional teaching, for ‘universal’ also means:

Love for Everything

Universal Love means Love for everything (and everyone), and that starts with Love for the self.

Brené Brown’s extensive research on love, vulnerability, and connection, shows that “we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.”

Love First offers myriad self-love methods throughout its philosophy, but three key practices are:

• Think of yourself as your one true Soulmate, for your soul and your conscious mind are the only things truly soul-bound for the entirety of your life.
• Be your own Primary Partner, and show up for yourself like you would for your most significant other.
• Date yourself! Go on self-dates, create nourishing self-care routines, do personal development, and find ways to be in right relationship with your own mind, heart, and spirit.

Cultivating a healthy relationship with yourself involves looking at your thought and behavioral patterns, your habits, and your beliefs, with a critical but compassionate lens. The purpose of this practice is not to make you feel your shame, but rather, to resolve your shame through conscious growth and evolution. Beliefs and actions that cause harm to others cause harm to your own soul, and carrying that weight with you will only slow you down in life.

Love the shadow side of who you are! And love who you have been, for it is all part of who you are today. Thank your shadow and your ego for trying to protect you and keep you safe in this world, and then choose to evolve yourself into a more holistic, kinder, and authentic version of you. Bring your shadow to light, and the light will cleanse it of its harms.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Our soul—our true, luminous form—is endlessly radiant and capable of surviving what lurks in your shadows.

Love every part of yourself so fully that you can love every part of the universe.

The Cosmic Breath of Existence

On a more spiritual level, you can think of Universal Love as the luminous breath of the cosmos: an omnipresent force or energy field that surrounds us and binds us, flowing between each living essence. It’s the soulful energy of our spirits, the warm light that radiates from our hearts when we are our most authentic selves, and it’s the love this universe holds for all of us.

The universe profoundly loves itself, and we are the Universe. We are not mere vessels of crude matter existing among the stars; we are the luminous beings the universe made manifest. Together we are an indivisible, pulsating thread in the infinite tapestry of existence, connected to all that is and can be.

Our shining spirits emanate our life force to one another, forming the conduits of Universal Love and nourishing it every time we love ourselves, others, or anything in the cosmos. It is central to our being, and the source of our greatest strength.

Universal Love is also the driving force calling us towards our highest self, inspiring deeper empathy and compassion for others and ourselves. It’s the infinite wisdom in our hearts and the fierce courage in our gut, guiding us to act from a place of inner strength and resilient grace.

This beautiful, bountiful Love is the primal code of the universe: it’s the first language that we learn, and the rhythm in which we yearn. We speak it natively from birth, yet are taught only human dialects as we grow into being.

Universal Love is the language of needs and the vocabulary of offerings. It is the channel for deep healing and the vehicle for transformative growth. It connects our minds to our souls, our hearts to each other, our bodies to the Earth, and our spirit to the ‘Verse.

We can re-learn this ancient language of Universal Love and reintegrate it in our everyday lives, and when we do, we will discover that the magic of the universe naturally re-emerges in our conscious awareness. This magic takes many forms, from serendipity and synchronicities to manifestation and beyond. This is The magic of Love, penned with a capital L, evoking awe and wonder and profound feelings of interconnectedness in us all.

And it is this Magic of Love that we tap into when we go Love First.