February is designated as the month of love. However, the meaning of love is completely misunderstood, which is why Unleash Love is on a mission to teach children the true meaning of love.

One of the most critical needs for any human being is the need to be loved. We all have this innate need, yet it is often difficult to fulfill and usually misconstrued. Brené Brown states:

“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people.

We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired

to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met,

we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We

numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.”

Love is not merely a warm fuzzy feeling; love in action is important in our relationship with others. While other people can be hard to love at times (maybe most of the time, as are we), you have a choice: you can choose to love or be indifferent toward them.

Let’s look at the characteristics of genuine, loving people:

• They are patient.

• They are kind, not rude.

• They honor other people.

• They are honest.

• They are protective.

• They are trustworthy.

• They are always hopeful.

• They persevere through difficult situations.

• They are other-seeking and other-serving.

• They manage their emotions well.

Of course, there are also things that they are not:

• They aren’t envious.

• They aren’t boastful.

• They aren’t prideful.

• They don’t hold grudges.

The characteristics mentioned reflect how genuinely loving people behave when interacting with others—baggage and all. That’s what love in action looks like, not just empty words. And it remains one of the most powerful lessons I continue to learn, thanks to a little rescue dog named Louie.

Louie was lost or abandoned in Kentucky and went through several shelters before coming to Cincinnati. On September 15, 2013, I stopped by PetSmart during their adopt-a-pet weekend and encountered an abandoned mutt with big brown eyes. I adopted him, brought him home, and named him Louie DiStasi. I soon discovered that Louie came with a lot of emotional baggage. He exhibited behaviors that deeply worried me, so I hired a dog trainer to help address them. I quickly realized I needed training just as much as Louie did, if not more.

Working with Louie was challenging. The bottom line was that Louie needed acceptance, consistency, discipline, and—above all—unconditional love. I wasn’t sure I was equipped to provide all that. It was a struggle, and I had to choose to love him. I decided to commit to loving this abandoned pup, baggage, and all.

While Louie was transformed by the love I poured into him, I had the most to learn. I now choose to be patient, kind, honest, hopeful, trustworthy, and loving.

Make a choice to be loving through your actions and words. Be Kind—there is always something unknown in other people’s lives.

Blessings and LOVE, The Louie Crew