Love

The giving of love and understanding is an education in itself. Eleanor Roosevelt What is love? In December, 2020, Succeed and Soar posted the five-part Love Is series. The first was “Key to The Gates of Happiness.” There, the ancient Greek’s five types of love were defined: Philautia: the ability to love oneself and be concerned with ones happiness Storge: an empathetic love that exists in families Philia: the fondness found in friendships Eros: romantic, passionate love Agape: open-hearted, unconditional and world-embracing spiritual love Of self love, Elani Saltas wrote, The ancient Greeks were wise enough to understand there are two kinds of philautia. The first is a narcissistic love for oneself, a destructive self-centered approach to life with all its negative attributes. The second offers a way out of narcissism, the healthy kind of love we must give ourselves. This kind of self-love believes in its own worth and does not base that belief on what anyone else thinks or says. Saltas also believes, “If you want to see more love in your world, it all begins with you.” WebMD reports that loving people enjoy lower blood pressure, less anxiety, fewer colds, faster healing, longer lives and more. And, as Mrs. Roosevelt’s words recommend, the giving of love can teach. Dr. Carol Morgan found a few, precious, love lessons. My favorites include: Love is an action, not just a feeling. Love is focusing on quality, not quantity Read more. Of self love, imagine a world based on these two affirmations: I love myself the way that I am and I want to be better. I love myself even more for wanting to be better. – Allan Martin Osman There’s an angel inside. – Freddie Weber Succeed and Soar! Celebrate! Sunday, September 19: International Talk Like A Pirate Day “Ahoy, me hearties!” Here’s how to speak proper pirate [including pickup lines]. Monday, September 20 : Harvest Moon This red moon is in the sky longer than on other nights, allowing farmers more time to harvest crops. It reaches maximum fullness at 7:55 pm Pittsburgh time. Enjoy. Friday, September 24, National Punctuation Day From the lowly comma to the flamboyant ampersand, National Punctuation Day on September 24 celebrates the punctuation that makes our words legible and gets our point across. “Let’s eat, Grandma!” or “Let’s eat Grandma!” — it’s clear that punctuation saves lives Image Source Let’s ZOOM chat for 40 minutes, First THURSDAY, November 4th, 7pm Lots to discuss, including thoughts about “Eleanor’s Insights” and this month’s book, Caroline Myss’ Invisible Acts of Power, Channeling Grace in Everyday Life. Zoom Link will be sent day before Chat. See you soon! Image © Can Stock Photo / vectomart Eleanor’s Insights Collection Succeed and Soar’s “Eleanor’s Insights” series is illustrated with photographs of ‘wild places.’ Art is available as prints, framed and on canvas as well as on journals, greeting cards, weekender bags, shower curtains, puzzles and much more. Shop Here
Love 1: Key to The Gates of Happiness

Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness. – Oliver Wendell Holmes What does love mean? The ancient Greeks identified several types. Philautia: the ability to love oneself and be concerned with ones happiness Storge: an empathetic love that exists in families Philia: the fondness found in friendships Eros: romantic, passionate love Agape: open-hearted, unconditional and world-embracing spiritual love I do believe that existing within these experiences grows our personal heavens on Earth. The opposite [intolerance, stinginess, meanness, prejudice, etc.] are like fire and brimstone. As this year approaches the season that calls for Good Will toward all, Succeed and Soar’s next postings present meditations on love. In the meantime, share a favorite love experience. Comment below. * Which LOVE quote is matched to the right movie or television show? “I believe that we can be extraordinary together rather than ordinary apart.” — Titanic “You are the perfect verse over a tight beat.” — Brown Sugar “And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” —Buffy The Vampire Slayer * Five versions of my “Love Seed” Illustrated Wisdom art have been created with Adobe Photoshop. See them in upcoming posts. Support and encourage Succeed and Soar. Purchase the art as prints, ready-to-display canvas or framed. Visit gallery. *** Quiz Answers “I believe that we can be extraordinary together rather than ordinary apart.” — [Television] Meredith Grey, Grey’s Anatomy “You are the perfect verse over a tight beat.” — [Movie] Andre Ellis, Brown Sugar “And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” — [Television] The Vampire Diaries