It is so easy to hate that guy that drives you crazy with his right-wing remarks about how everyone should own a semi-automatic gun or that liberal who keeps saying that no one should ever own a gun or have even more justified hate toward that crazy guy who went on a shooting spree and killed so many innocent people and it so easy to feel deep hatred toward those evil Taliban people spreading their atrocities against innocent people in the Middle East and spreading more terror around the world.
“I have decided to stick with love; hate is too big of a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
In order to thrive, I need to choose love over hate. Especially when it appears that the person or group is more deserving of hate. Our great stories of revenge do not support this view, it takes courage to go this way. It is an act of bravery to face hate or betrayal with love instead of more hate and revenge. Love still means justice for those who have committed crimes and of course this is critical in order to hold people accountable. It is just the way the justice is done that makes the difference. This love approach can also make a big difference in the workplace. Firings and Lay-offs done in a more loving way can result in employees who do not necessarily hate the company or manager that delivered the bad news (and minimize the risk of workplace violence). If I go after the competition with admiration for their tactics that took my customers away then I can open up to more creativity to make my company better in the end. If I become mired in hating the competition then my creativity is squelched and they have even more opportunities to take my customers away and my business suffers.
Love is the way to go. Come from a place of love when you are working with your colleagues and you will accomplish so much more. When I am clear on my boundaries and I can walk away from a work or personal relationship that is not working for me and do it in a loving way, then I do not bear the burden of holding on to hate and resentment.
Love is the only choice if I want to thrive. Spread the Love on this Happy Valentine’s Day!