Without Love I am Nothing

Photo Credit: Davide Ragusa

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” ~ First Corinthians

Last week’s musings was inspired by All About Love by Bell Hooks and was the perfect lead-in for February, the month about love. In February we celebrate romantic love on Valentine’s Day. It’s also I Love to Read Month, which is more about enjoyment than love. Romance and enjoyment are only two of many different uses of the word love, which is a part of the confusion around our understanding of what love is. My mission today is to consider different perspectives about the nature of love and to uncover the reason why, without love, I am nothing.

Perspectives About What Love Is

Diane Ackerman asserts in A Natural History of Love that, “love is the great intangible.” In A Road Less Travelled, M. Scott Peck defines love as, “the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.” John Bradshaw writes, “the love I learned about was bound by duty and obligation.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s collection, Strength to Love, states, “when I speak of love I am speaking of that force which all the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door.”

Perspectives About What Love Isn’t

In All About Love, Bell Hooks writes, “awakening to love can happen only as we let go of our obsession with power and domination.” In Love and Addiction, Stanton Peele suggests addiction is a roadblock to love. Yet Gabor Mate’s insights on the links between trauma and addiction show us that an addict’s craving stems from feeling unlovable. It is a vicious cycle that can feel so insurmountable, it discourages people from trying. Trauma, abuse, and neglect, especially in childhood, disrupt our ability to give and receive love that is healthy, respectful, and kind.

Types of Love

Romantic love in our culture is often portrayed in unhealthy, sexist, and overly sexualized ways. Advice on how to find love can include unloving actions, such as lying and manipulation. Physical attraction and sexual pleasure seem to be the focus of romance, with little to no space given to the importance of commitment, respect and honest communication. Love is shown to be a shallow, self-centred thing. More often than not, the word love is not used in reference to sexual intimacy, but a four letter word that begins with F. It feels detached and transactional.

Our love of books, as I said in my introduction, is not love at all, but an experience of enjoyment that brings us pleasure. The same holds true for movies, art, food, travel, and fashion. In my opinion, using the word love to describe these things dilutes the powerful reality of a love that without, I am nothing. Compassion and forgiveness are types of love. Empathy, affection, and service are types of love. But what kind of love is this love that without, I am nothing?

Love Is

Love is one hand a deeply personal experience, unique to every person, and on the other, a supreme unifying principle. How we love is influenced by our culture and how we are raised. It is informed by our values and beliefs. Our understanding of love can’t be found in a book, whether it be rooted in scientific study or religious theology. We can learn from the ideas of others, but education and knowledge can’t replace the wisdom gained from experience.

Love is an inward journey of the heart and soul. Love is an action. It requires a willingness to be pursued, to be given, and to be received. It is intangible. It is transformative. Love has the power to redeem, heal and reconcile. The reasons why we are all nothing without love are too vast and limitless, beyond the grasp of language to accurately and fully describe. But when we feel it, we know it. Love is one of life’s great mysteries, impossible to define, that we all yearn for.

And so, dear reader, I close today’s musings unable to uncover the reason why, without love, I am nothing. I know that love is real. I feel the desire for love that roars through my blood. I know what loves means for me, and what I am willing to do for love. I know love from and for my mother, father and brother. I know love from and for my children. I know love from and for my husband. Yet with each new relationship that fosters love, I discover new ways love can manifest and morph and become something totally new. I know that, without love, I am nothing.

COMING UP…

Books & Projects:

·      In December 2025 I signed a contract with Austin Macauley Publishers for my manuscript, The Trials of Alex Anderson, a character-driven novel that explores the relationship between mental illness and trauma.  I am now on the road to publication, with an expected release date near the end of 2026. I’ll be posting regular updates here on  my blog and on social media, so stay tuned for exciting new developments.

·      The Rogue Scorpion is available online at Amazon, Chapters-Indigo, and Barnes & Noble. You can also find it at select Chapters-Indigo and El Hombre de la Mancha bookstores.

Reviews & Interviews:

·      You can read, listen, or watch a large selection of reviews and interviews on my website.

Events:

·      There are no events currently scheduled in my calendar.

YouTube Channel:

Watch The Rogue Scorpion trailer