Expanding Men’s Capacity to Love
LOVE. This is the antidote to the trauma wounds created from masculinity constructed identities. Yet, many men are shut off from love. Love is often misunderstood by men. It is the thing that eludes most men. How do we define love. Some ways it’s defined is:
A willingness to prioritize another’s well-being or happiness above their own.
Extreme feelings of attachment, affection, and need.
Dramatic, sudden feelings of attraction and respect.
A fleeting emotion of care, affection, and like.
So what is love? These are descriptions of actions and emotional expressions and specific moments in time that are often temporary. But what is love? I would argue that these are superficial expressions of something deeper - but not really holding the full capacity of love.
Storge - empathy bond.
Philia – friend bond.
Eros – romantic love.
Agape – unconditional "God" love.
Let’s focus on agape - the unconditional “God” love. If we are reflections of God/Spirit -then what happens when we tap into, embody and express Agape. What does that do for our empathy bond for humanity, our love for friends and family, our love for romantic partners? How does that show up in our actions? How does that play out in all of our interactions and relationships? How does that impact our leadership and the impact we make in the world?
What makes love so challenging? What prevents us as men from accessing, giving & receiving, and expressing love freely? How has the masculinity construct inhibited us from truly loving? In the book Reinventing Masculinity - the liberating power of compassion and connection. However, I would say, the liberating power of love will set men free. The ability to engage in and practice self-love, self care, and self compassion.
The wounding that so many men experience prevents men from fully experiencing, embodying, and expressing love. The ego protects us from being vulnerable, but it is also preventing us from tapping into the transforming power of love. This exploration is really about helping men tap into the transforming power of love that allows for true authenticity, deep connection, sense of meaningful purpose, and compassion-centered/soul-inspired leadership.
Love work is soul work and helping men tap into their soul’s journey of healing so they can contribute their full range of gifts and express the power of their authentic voice for a more conscious, compassionate, and connected world.