## The action of love I define the action of love as "laboring in the present in the pursuit of future joy". While love is often defined as a strong [[Feelings|feeling]] of affection—and I sometimes use it that way for things or activities—I find that definition insufficient when love is directed towards a person. In those cases, I rely on the action definition. This distinction is crucial because it places the power with the individual performing the action. Whether or not I *feel* loving in a particular moment, I always retain the ability to *act* lovingly, according to the definition above. ## Self Love Love can be directed toward others or oneself, yet the *habit* of love is cultivated and sustained regardless of its target. Self-love isn't the reward of sustainable personal growth; it's the prerequisite. It requires telling yourself, "I will grow because I am worth it," rather than, "I need to grow to prove my worth." ### Examples of self-love: [[Effective Exercise]] [[Effective Sleep]] [[Effective Diet]] [[Financial independence]] [[Meditation]] [[Living Authentically]] [[Values|Living in accordance with your values]] ## Love towards others Showing love to others is one of the best ways to show love to yourself. ### Examples of loving others: [[Help|Providing Help]] [[Compassion|Expressing Compassion]] [[Gratitude|Expressing Gratitude]] [[Acts of service]] [[Active Listening]] [[Quality Time with others]]