In psychology, the concept of ‘social proof’ suggests that people like to follow the crowd. If everyone else is doing it, you assume it’s the right thing to do. Other people influence your actions more than you realize. For example, if you had to pick between two new bars and you could see that one was packed while the other isn’t, you’d assume that the empty one sucked and the popular one was much better! But just because everyone else is doing it does not mean it’s right. Slavery used to be legal, but now nearly everyone would agree that it’s inhumane, degrading and immoral.

the love you experience with others will be a direct reflection of the love you share with yourself.

We go through each day constantly comparing ourselves to others, and most of us rarely acknowledge that we have what others may desire. We also tend to compare ourselves to those we consider more fortunate than us, rather than those who are less fortunate.

It’s vital to remember that you can’t change others unless they want to change themselves. You can influence them and facilitate change, but you can’t make them change. And they’ll only decide to change when they have an incentive – such as a better life or a better relationship with you. If they don’t identify a problem with their way of being, they won’t be motivated to change.

A life lived with love is rich, abundant, and rewarding, and if we can share that with someone special, all the better.