I have struggled with the term ‘unconditional love’. Early on, I believed it meant you were there for the person NO MATTER WHAT. But that felt off to me, especially when I was caught up in toxic situations.
Putting up with whatever the situation dished out didn’t feel healthy to me at all. When the light bulb switched on and I removed myself, I then felt a tremendous amount of guilt. It got me thinking about the phrase ‘unconditional love’ and what it really means.
What unconditional love is and isn’t
Unconditional love isn’t saying “I am only going to love you as long as you do this for me”, or about being so blinded by love that you’re used as doormat or taken advantage of.
Unconditional love is all about accepting people for who they are, and for where they are on their journey. You can be in a relationship for many years and naturally outgrow the person, but still love them unconditionally. Hell, you can also not like someone but still love them unconditionally. I’m sure we’ve all got a few examples of that one in our lives!
Boundaries can be a part of unconditional love
If you find yourself in a toxic situation, creating boundaries or putting some distance between yourselves is best way to practice unconditional love. After all, it means you recognize the faults in the relationship and have enough love for the person to actually do something about it.
Putting unconditional love into practice
As with so many things in life, perfecting the art of unconditional love starts with you. When we lean into our imperfections and accept and love ourselves just the way we are, we begin to see the beauty in the imperfections of others. It then becomes so much easier to love without conditions.
What we attract in life is only a reflection of how we love ourselves. By loving yourself unconditionally, you will attract people into your life who love you in the same way.
What can you do today to be more loving towards yourself?