Love: The Most Important Thing We Get Wrong

Love is one of those things we all experience, yet struggle to define. It’s in our relationships, our passions, our responsibilities—but what is it, really?

Is it just romance? Is it the way we care for our kids? Our friends? Is it the love we have for our work, our fate, or even ourselves?

The Stoics had a word for one kind of love: Amor Fati—the love of fate. Not just accepting what happens, but embracing it, knowing that every experience—good or bad—shapes us.

Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together.”

That’s love in its purest form. Not just affection, but commitment—to others, to life, to the path we’re on.

Love is What Drives Us

Viktor Frankl, a man who survived the Holocaust, found his strength in love. He was stripped of everything—his freedom, his dignity—but the love he held for his wife kept him going. He imagined her face, their conversations, the life they built together. That love wasn’t just a feeling; it was fuel. It gave him purpose when everything else had been taken.

That’s the real power of love. It’s not just in grand gestures or poetic words—it’s in what it makes us do.

• Love makes parents sacrifice for their kids.
• Love makes people push through hardship for their families.
• Love makes us want to be better, to show up, to build something greater than ourselves.

What About Self-Love?

Napoleon Hill once wrote that self-love is the foundation of all success. If you don’t love yourself, you’ll spend your life chasing validation from people who don’t even matter.

And yet, we’re terrible at it. We’re quick to beat ourselves up, to put ourselves last, to ignore what we need. But self-love isn’t just about “treating yourself” or “positive vibes”—it’s about respecting yourself enough to do what’s right for you.

That means: ? Holding yourself accountable ? Setting boundaries ? Choosing people and habits that actually make you better

Because as Seneca said, “If you want to be loved, love.” And that starts with you.

So, How Do We Get Love?

I asked my daughter Isla-Rose this question.

She thought for a second, then said: “You get love from your heart.”

That might be the simplest and best answer I’ve ever heard. Because at the end of the day, love isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you give. And the more you give, the more you have.

Reflection: How are you showing love today? To your family? To your work? To yourself?

Until next time,

Broden Johnson