January 3, 2026- The safety net of our own love

The soul arrives at strength for pursuits and passion from the love it receives.

~Aditya Bhaskara

There is never any reason for us to go without love. We do not have to hold onto toxic relationships to get it. We do not have to be performative. We don’t have to seek honors, applause, or even quiet validation. All the love we need can come from within.

Of course, love from others feels good. We are social creatures, and we are not built to be reclusive hermits. (At least not the majority of us.) We want to fit into the fabric of the society around us. We want to feel included, welcomed, even desired. But if our strength is contingent on the support and validation of others, when they fail us, we will fail. This is why we must build a more reliable model of unconditional love.

Our own self-love can empower us. We can use it to give ourselves permission to honor our own intentions, regardless of others’ feelings or opinions. We can make our choices based on our own values, rather than on how we might think they would perform in an opinion poll or social media reel.

When we love ourselves unconditionally, we are able to prove to ourselves that we are entirely worthy of love, just as we are. We are still free to pursue growth, change, and evolution, but we do so knowing we have the safety net of our own love to catch us when we fall.