Love Is Sweat.

No, I didn't spend my Valentine's Day getting getting cream of Sum Yung Gai. Once I went home, I went to the gym and worked up a sweat on the elliptical. This thought came to me as I was heading home from work today: love is best shown with a little sweat. Of course, if it's the kind earned through romantic endeavors, it's tremendously sweet and intoxicating. But if you're flying solo, why not show your body that you love it by making it stronger, healthier and more beautiful? But let's expand on this thought a little bit. Love really is more about actions and choices - working for it. Love isn't easy, because life isn't easy, and love requires you to ride out the rough parts instead of getting going when things get tough. Real love is hard work, and hard work implies a little sweat. Friendship is a form of love, and friendships take work too. All relationships where you often care about someone else's well-being more than your own take work. Guy or gal not that into you? Not working to make the connection stronger? Not sweating you in a good way? You need to do a serious inventory about what that relationship is about. I won't say toss 'em to the side right away, but some soul searching should be in order. I've found that it's worse to be lonely in a relationship than lonely outside one - that person becomes a focal point for anger or negativity and twists your personality in ways you couldn't twist if they weren't there. Who needs a mindfuck? Reciprocity is a sign of a mature relationship. Giving and taking is what it's all about. If someone is doing most of the taking or giving for selfish reasons, a gut check is in order. Jesus distilled all the Commandments down to one thing: Love thy neighbor. And sometimes, that takes some work. Resist lusting after your neighbor's spouse, or their material things. Resist envy. Resist killing the idiot who disrespected you. Resist the basest parts of your human nature. That's never easy. It takes work to be bigger than you are. Work it. Happy Valentine's Day. Thank God it's just about over.