Let love be your default

Lately I've been thinking about how we use the word love. It's one of the most overused words in our language…

We love a good sale.

We love a workout when we hit a personal record.

We love our bodies—when they look a certain way.

We love rest—when we've "earned" it.

But is that really love? Or is it just another way of saying we want, we desire, we approve?

Thich Nhat Hanh once said, “Words sometimes get sick, and we have to heal them. We have been using the word 'love' to mean appetite or desire, as in “I love hamburgers.” We have to use language more carefully. 'Love' is a beautiful word, and we have to restore its meaning.”

So,  how do we restore love?

It's about being intentional. About showing up with presence. It's not about possession or what we get in return. It's about compassion. It's about the quiet, everyday moments where we care for ourselves and others—no big gestures, no flashy declarations. Just real, honest connection.

This Valentine's Day, I'm inviting myself—and you—to take a step back from the noise. To reimagine love as something we live—through how we talk to ourselves, how we show up for others, and how we choose to live.