The Love.Now Challenge

[Kute Blackson]

Growing up on 4 different continents, and seeing the reality that people from diverse walks of life live daily has deeply touched my heart. Whether it be the poorest slums in India, the forgotten villages in Africa. I have been touched by the rawness of life and what it means to be human. On the surface we may seem different but at the core we are all the same. We are ONE.

Everyone wants to be loved, and to love. It is the universal language. Each time I encounter another human being I am humbled and reminded of the vulnerability within us all. We are all such delicate and beautiful creatures, with the same hopes, fears, wants, concerns, and dreams.

The LOVE.NOW challenge is simple:

For a full 24 hours, I invite you to love fully. During this one day my invitation to you, is to feel and express the love in your heart, without holding back. Whether, as kindness to a loved one or stranger, whether it comes through your passionate love making with your beloved. Or communicating authentically with those in your life. At some point during the 24 hours, you commit to sharing with at least one person the words “I love you”, with total heartfelt sincerity.

Live these 24 hours like they were your last, so that by the end, there is nothing left ungiven. If at any moment you feel as though you have stopped loving fully, simply start the 24 hour challenge, again. Once you have completed a full 24 hours, then repeat the challenge, and so forth.

It is easy to love when you feel like it, or are in the mood. But what about when you are not? It is easy to love those that you like, but what about those that most challenge you, or don’t fit your taste? It is easy to love when you are getting what you want but what about when you aren’t? Or when you are in traffic, hungry, sick, broke, upset, in pain, or busy?

For a full 24 hours, see every moment, person, and situation as an opportunity to LOVE.NOW, and offer it as fully as possible.

When we stop resisting our hearts and let it flow, miracles happen. When we love fully, there is never any guarantee that we won’t get hurt at times, but it also hurts not to love. It hurts to hold back the love inside our hearts. Your heart might seem to break at times but it will heal. There is a high price to pay in living numb. And a great reward in living courageously.

So why not love now? Why do we wait until someone is dead then offer them our love and say nice things? This is why I say “LOVE.NOW”. Give flowers now. Give appreciation now. Give hugs now. Give smiles now. Give your heart now. Today is that special day.

It is time for a love revolution. It is time to be bold. I dare you to Love.Now.

-Write to me and share your “Love.Now Challenge” experience.

[Jean Weiss a/k/a Miss Green Jean]

I saw what I assume was a homeless person scavengering the trashbin on a NYC street...I was in my car...I pulled over, backed up and ran after the man and gave him the most healthy food I had in the car...it was a bag of raw granola and a raw peanut butter/blue green algae bar...he looked at me like I had 9 heads...he graciously took it, sheepishly...I just said "I'd be honored if you took this instead..enjoy! Have the best day ever!"
I just had to reach out and love that man and let him know he was a human being!
I KNOW it made my day - most probably more than it made his...just a random act of kindness and love...it was liberating, freeing and oh, so comforting - hopefully for the both of us!
Thanks for starting this post...