Love For No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love
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In Love for No Reason Marci Shimoff guides readers towards a life filled with love—the kind of love that doesn’t depend on another person, situation, or romantic partner.
Love for No Reason introduces a new way of thinking about love, defining it as an inner state of being that anyone can access at any time, and in any circumstance. To experience what Shimoff calls “Love for No Reason,” one doesn’t need to have the right partner, the perfect body, an ideal child, or a great job. As the book demonstrates through the examples of those who are living in this state of unconditional love, when you love for no reason you bring love to the world around you, rather than expect love from it. Supported by the latest scientific research on the biochemistry of love, Shimoff outlines a revolutionary program to develop and nurture more love from the inside out. She also offers practical tools and breakthrough methods that will empower readers to bring unconditional love to every aspect of their lives and introduces 150 Love Luminaries—world-renowned scientists, spiritual leaders, and psychologists, as well as people who are living in the state of Love for No Reason—many of whom share their moving personal stories.
Regardless of the challenges people may face—whether they are relationship, economic, or business pressures—this book will show readers how they can become an unshakeable source of love for themselves and everyone around them.
ISBN-13: 9781439165034
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 01-10-2012
Pages: 368
Product Dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Marci Shimoff is a celebrated transformational leader and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. In addition to authoring the worldwide bestseller Happy for No Reason, she is the coauthor of six of the top-selling titles in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a featured teacher in the international movie and book sensation The Secret. President and cofounder of The Esteem Group, Marci delivers keynote addresses and seminars to corporations, women’s associations, and professional and non-profit organizations. Over the past twenty-eight years, Marci has inspired millions of people around the world, sharing her breakthrough methods for personal fulfillment and professional success. Carol Kline is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and the coauthor of Happy for No Reason and five books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Often called "the voice of her generation," Marianne Williamson has been lecturing on spirituality since 1983. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers: A Return to Love; A Woman's Worth; Illuminata; The Healing of America; and Illuminated Prayers. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Marianne continues to inspire audiences on a global scale as she lectures internationally in the fields of spirituality and new thought. Marianne is running in the 2020 presidential election as a Democratic candidate.
An Invitation toHigher Love In medieval Japan, the fierce samurai warriors were revered as kings. They carried large swords and were highly skilled at using them. One day, a famous samurai set out to find an aged monk who was known to be very wise. When he arrived at the monastery, he flung open the door and demanded of the old man, “Tell me, you are learned in these matters. What is heaven and what is hell?” The monk sat still for a moment on the tatami-matted floor. Then he turned and looked up at the warrior. “You call yourself a samurai warrior,” he said. “Why, look at you. You’re nothing but a mere sliver of a man! I doubt you could cut off the head of a fly with your sword.” For a moment, the samurai stood gaping. No one talked to a samurai like that! Then, as if someone had waved a red cloth in front of a bull, the samurai’s face contorted in rage. He bellowed, “How dare you! I won’t let you get away with such an insult.” Pulling his huge sword from its sheath, he raised it high above his head, ready to kill the old monk. Unperturbed, the monk looked directly into the eyes of the furious warrior and said, “You asked what hell is? This is hell.” The samurai froze, his sword still raised, as the hatred and anger that had consumed him drained away. He looked at the old monk in amazement, realizing that this small, stooped man had risked his life to answer his question. Lowering his weapon, the samurai bowed to the monk, as tears of gratitude appeared in his eyes. “Thank you for your teaching,” the samurai said humbly, his heart filled with love for the monk’s gift. The monk smiled at the samurai and said, “And this, my friend, is heaven.” The book you hold in your hands is your passport to experiencing heaven right here on earth—no matter what your idea of heaven is. Because in the end, heaven on earth is about love—the biggest, most powerful, all-encompassing love you can imagine. We All Want Love Love. What a small word for such an enormous, expansive, exalted experience! Since the dawn of civilization, humans have been engaged in the pursuit of love. Monuments have been constructed, fortunes made, and treasuries emptied—all in the name of love. Whatever we think we want—more clothes, more friends, more money, more status, more power, more anything—in the end, it boils down to love. When love flows in our lives, it opens our hearts, our arms, our eyes. We blossom, like a flower in the springtime sun. When love is missing, we wither and close, protecting ourselves against the harshness of life. Imagine being so full of love that no matter how much you gave, there was always more than enough, and any love you received was just icing on the cake. Every spiritual tradition tells us to love one another, and we’d all like to do just that. So, what’s the problem? In a nutshell, we’re handicapped in the love department—both giving and receiving—because we’re disconnected from the state of Love for No Reason, the source of love inside us. When you learn how to access that huge internal reservoir of love, instead of looking for love outside yourself, you’re able to bring love to every situation. And that’s when your life becomes magical—a whole lot juicier and more fulfilling. Living in Love This isn’t just a nice idea. As I discovered in my research, some people are actually living this way. After each interview with a Love Luminary, I would shake my head in wonder. The accounts of living in Love for No Reason were far better than any fairy tale—because they were true. For some the experience of this expansive state came on dramatically and suddenly—in a moment of grace—while for others it was a more subtle and gradual process. One beautiful example of someone who experienced a moment of grace that changed her life came from Love Luminary Mirabai Devi, an international spiritual teacher from South Africa I interviewed while she was teaching in California. Her experience of this pure state of love first happened almost twenty years ago, when as a young woman traveling through Europe on her own, Mirabai had an awakening: It was as if a dam burst in my heart, and the waters overflowed. The love that came forth was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Like a flood, it was all-consuming and all-encompassing; I could hardly contain it. I felt electrified; my body was tingling all over. I was so in love with the whole creation that I wanted to hug everyone I met. I knew that I couldn’t do that because people would think I was crazy. Still, people could feel it. Everywhere I went they would just come up to me and say, “What can I do for you?” “Can I help you?” “Can I give you a ride?” “Can I get you some food?” “Can I … ?” They just wanted to be around me. All I wanted to do was make humanity feel how loved it was. To let them know that this love was everywhere, and available to everyone. Nonstop I just sent it out to all people, all beings, and all life forms. I sent it to all those who were suffering. Traveling through Holland one afternoon, I stopped on the side of the road and looked at a field of cabbages. All the cabbages were filled with this iridescent, luminous light. My heart was bursting with love for the cabbages. I felt union with the whole creation. Everything was the creation of love. Everything was pulsing with love. It was everywhere, in everything. It was in the walls and in the trees. It was as though it was coming through the sky. I saw that everything is connected and everything is one. And everything is radiant with this exquisite, ecstatic love.Read an Excerpt
“Marci Shimoff has her finger on the pulse of the greatest evolutionary leap in the history of humanity—our leap out of fear into the attitudinal matrix of love. In Love for No Reason, she provides to the world…a compelling case for the power of love. This book has answers. And Marci Shimoff is a worthy guide.” —from the Foreword by Marianne Williamson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Return to Love “Love for No Reason helps us establish a foundation of unconditional love that supports greater happiness in our lives. Poignant stories and Marci Shimoff’s characteristic insights guide us to understand at a visceral level how we can love for no reason.” —Dr. Mehmet Oz, coauthor of YOU: Raising Your Child “Marci Shimoff has written another life-changing book. In Love for No Reason, she lays out a powerful and comprehensive program that anyone can do to experience a more lasting state of unconditional love. If you want to experience inner fulfillment on a whole new level, read this book.”—Jack Canfield, New York Times bestsellingauthor of The Success Principles and cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series "Marci Shimoff once again touches the heart with her new book, Love for No Reason... a guide to creating a life of love and happiness that saturates your soul. Thank you. Marci, for this important and inspiring book." —Mariel Hemingway, Award-winning actress, author of Healthy Living from the Inside Out "Love for No Reason is a brilliant how-to guide for expanding your capacity to love. Highly recommended." —John Gray, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus "There are thousands of books that educate us on how to give and receive love. But this unique and powerful book does that and more—it shows us how to BE love, which is what we are at the most profound root of the Self." — Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center and author of Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential "In ways both profound and practical, this book shows you proven ways to open the gates of love. Grounded in brain science, and illuminated by spirit, it helps you find the love that's already in you and around you. Funny, warm, and with lots of practical suggestions, Marci Shimoff’s voice is with you in every page, like a good friend speaking from the heart." —Rick Hanson, Ph.D, author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom "This is perhaps the most important book a person could ever read. Love for No Reason is about who we are at our core, and it shows us that the societies we create and the lives we live are a product of how we love. Marci Shimoff not only offers hope, she gives us a roadmap showing what we can do to improve our lives and the lives of others." —Roko Belic, Academy Award-nominated film director, Genghis Blues and Happy "Love it! Marci Shimoff has written another book that will help millions of people. It comes in exactly the right doses of insight, research, compassion, and human, heartfelt sharing. Love for No Reason is a gem with loads of helpful information that’s instantly applicable! And the reminder that love conquers all is the exact prescription for what the world needs most today." —Mike Dooley, author of the NY Times bestseller Infinite Possibilities "What the world needs now is Marci Shimoff and her extraordinary handbook on how unconditional love can end heartache, feed the soul, and light the world." —Lynne McTaggart, author of the bestsellers The Field and The Intention ExperimentWhat People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
Foreword Marianne Williamson xi Part I Love: The Final Frontier 1 Introduction: What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love 3 Chapter 1 An Invitation to Higher Love 15 Chapter 2 Breaking Through Your Love Limits 36 Chapter 3 Your Love-Body: Activating the Neurophysiology of Love 45 Part II The Love for No Reason Program: How to Develop your Love-Body 59 Chapter 4 The Doorway of Safety: Being in the Here and Now 61 Chapter 5 The Doorway of Vitality: Turning Up the Juice 88 Chapter 6 The Doorway of Unconditional Self-Love: Loving Yourself No Matter What 118 Chapter 7 The Doorway of Openness: Living with an Open Heart 153 Chapter 8 The Doorway of Communication: Coming from Compassion 194 Chapter 9 The Doorway of Vision: Seeing with the Eyes of Love 223 Chapter 10 The Doorway of Oneness: Connecting to Wholeness 251 Part III Living Love for No Reason Every Day 281 Chapter 11 Ready ... Set ... Love! 283 Chapter 12 Supersize Your Heart: Love on a Global Scale 297 Recommended Resources 309 Acknowledgments 331 Giving Back 338 About Marci Shimoff 340 About Carol Kline 342 Biographies of the Love Luminaries Whose Stories Appear in Love for No Reason 343 The Love Luminaries 347 Permissions 352Table of Contents