Choose Love Over Hate
This was the message from one of my favourite performers last night as he closed out the BST Festival in London. I think this message comes at a very timely moment for people here in the UK. After a bruising referendum and anger and fear from both sides perhaps it is time for people to begin to refocus themselves away from hate and fear and more towards love and acceptance.
I see in my office every day people suffering the ill effects of anger and hatred, be that from old relationships, familial strife or work place bullying. These people present themselves as shells of who they once were and are in need of re-connection with their true selves.
I have worked with many thousands of people and I have always maintained that people and humanity are intrinsically good and decent, but circumstances can bring out the worst in all of us. The love I refer to most in therapy is the love of self. If a person cannot connect that they are deserving of love, especially from themselves it is hard to move forward in life.
We therapists often speak of unconditional love or regard, I ask those of you reading this today, to try this out on yourself and see how this act ripples in the pond of life and that your love for self influences in a very real and positive way the people around you.
