The Power of Love

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​This is an excerpt from my book, How To Set Boundaries (Without Feeling Like a D*ck)—a guide for anyone ready to speak up, honour their needs, and feel more grounded in their relationships.

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You may have heard love referred to as the underlying energy and vibration of the universe.

While you might be tempted to roll your eyes, it has been scientifically proven that love is more than just a feeling; it is a complex human experience that profoundly influences and shapes our emotional, psychological and physiological development.

Research has shown that the human heart emits an electromagnetic field that can be measured several feet away from the body.[i] The heart's electromagnetic field is not only the strongest rhythmic field produced by thehuman body, but it also plays a key role in influencing our emotional and physiological states.

According to the HeartMath Institute, a research and education organization dedicated to the study of the heart-brain connection, positive emotions, such as love, create smooth, synchronized patterns in our heart rhythms, a state they call heart coherence.[ii] When we're in this state, not only do we feel better emotionally, but we also think more clearly, feel less stressed, and enjoy better overall health.

Numerous studies have also highlighted the profound impact of love on our early development. Research by Bowlby and Ainsworth on attachment theory emphasizes that early emotional bonds and love are crucial for psychological stability,[iii] while studies on children raised in Romanian orphanages revealed extreme developmental delays due to neglect and lack of love.[iv]

Love, it turns out, is for humans what sunlight is for plants. Just as plants reach for the sun to thrive, we require love to flourish. Everything we know about love shows that its absence can lead to devastating consequences, including attachment disorders, cognitive delays, poor physical health, and social and behavioral issues.

Therefore, love is not a luxury but a fundamental human need that is essential for our survival. The question is, how do we tap into this powerful energy of love without relying on other people?

It’s actually quite simple: just do things you love.

That’s it.

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📚 If you enjoyed this excerpt from my book and want to go deeper, How To Set Boundaries (Without Feeling Like a D*ck) is now available on Amazon, Indigo, Barnes & Noble, and as an audiobook on all your favourite platforms 🎧

[i] HeartMath Institute. Science of the Heart: Exploring the Role of the Heart in Human Performance. 2018. HeartMath Institute, https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/. Accessed August 2024.
[ii] McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Timofejeva, I., Joffe, R., Vainoras, A., Landauskas, M., & Alabdulgader, A. A. "The Influence of Heart Coherence on Synchronization Between Human Heart Rate Variability and Geomagnetic Activity." Journal of Complexity in Health Sciences, 1(2), 42-48. https://doi.org/10.21595/chs.2018.20480.
[iii] Bowlby, J. Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books, 1969. Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1978.
[iv] Rutter, M., Kumsta, R., Schlotz, W., & Sonuga-Barke, E. "Early Adolescent Outcomes for Institutionally-Deprived and Non-Deprived Adoptees. I: Disinhibited Attachment." Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(1), 22-30, 2012.