Me too, it's the first time I've thought of it like this and really understood- let's see what this different vantage point yields for us?! 👏😍💖

I read this and thought it was great-

Generally speaking, when you want something from someone you should bear one universal principle in mind: let go of the inner intention to receive and substitute it with the intention to give . It is very easy to do. If you want someone to respect and acknowledge you, do not wait for their respect. Treat them with respect on your part. Make them feel that in your eyes they are important. If what you need is compassion and gratitude, do not expect others to give these things to you. Participate in other people’s problems and look after them with sincerity. If you want to be thought attractive it will not happen just on account of a pair of beautiful eyes. Show someone else that you find them attractive by definition. If you need help and support be the one to help someone else. That way you increase your worth and will not be the one left owing. Finally, if you want to find mutual love abandon possessiveness and dependent relationships. You will find love if you can be the one just doing the loving without expecting anything in return. This kind of love is very rare and no- one can resist it. In all these cases you will inevitably receive the very thing you let go off.

I have come to the conclusion of unconditional love some time ago, in regards to M (my love/ex). People think unconditional love is such an awesome and spiritual thing......as long as that person is behaving the way we want them to. If you actually told your friends you unconditionally love your ex who has hurt you, they would think you're obsessed or nuts. We are taught this weird "spiritual" and "self love" thing that if someone hurts you, especially in a romantic way, that a) they don't deserve you, b) you're better than they are, c) they aren't worth your time, and you need to move on, and d) they will never recognize how wonderful you are. Therefore, you must push them to the curb, work on yourself (which isn't a bad thing, except in this context it's a passive aggressive way to get back at your ex), and go on some movie-like spiritual journey. 

AND, if he/she ever DOES come back - you must make him/her work for it! You must punish them for a time and make them work really hard to get back into your good graces. If you just accept them back and love them, people will think you are desperate. What's up with that?!

Not all of that is terrible advice, but where do you see the unconditional love? We ourselves want to be loved unconditionally. We want people to see past our bad moments and see the goodness inside of us. We want people to cut us some slack on  our bad days and bad moods. 

I have realized for myself some time ago that I love M unconditionally. While I may be upset about things, and sometimes discouraged, my actual love for him does not waiver. That is a constant. I don't need him to prove himself to me when we get back together. I don't need to punish him, or make him apologize to me every day for a year.

I can't say I have unconditional love for everyone in my life, but I can say that through all my time with M, loving someone unconditionally is quite an experience. It's not the same as love for your children. It's a tiny miracle, imo. It's definitely changed me for the better.

Are we all loving unconditionally today? 😊💜