The universal need for love

 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:4-5 NKJV)

Last year, my daughter discovered her breast cancer had returned, and I found my mind becoming mired in depressive and hopeless thoughts night after night.

It was a long, cold winter. I no longer found joy or comfort in the things I had loved, like winter’s blanket of white snow. I started hating that snow and the freezing air. How I yearned for some warm rays of sunshine to break through that gloom!

And some sunshine came, in an unexpected way.
I was chatting with a friend and casually mentioned that while on a train I got into talking to somebody, and “how good it felt to focus on someone else.” “That sounds great!” he said. “Let’s make it a game.” So, we began writing each other stories of people we’d met and connected with or somehow helped. Besides doing some good, it helped me keep my sanity during a very difficult time in my life, forcing me to look for opportunities and stories I could share with my friend.

How to play:
- Do small acts of love to anyone, but preferably strangers—people you happen to meet on your way to school, or work, or on a walk somewhere.
- These acts of kindness may or may not involve speaking.
- It can be played anywhere, at any time of day, alone or with another player.
- There aren’t any secret tactics. In fact, it’s best to share your secrets and experiences, even though the idea isn’t to brag about your good deeds.

The goal of this game is to increase awareness of the universal need for love, and to realize that it never runs out, and often it gets returned right on the spot. [1]

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi

[1] Activated The Game of Hearts