Choose Love Now: One Way to Heal Hurt
“Can we all get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?” Three days into the 1992 Los Angeles riots, ignited by the acquittal of four police officers after the brutal beating of Rodney King, King himself made this public plea for peace.
In 2020, the siblings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, also victims of police brutality, called for an end to violent demonstrations. Their calls for peace were calls for Love, for people to come together and address what is broken without creating more harm.
These were individuals who had every reason to feel anger, hurt, and grief. Yet what they asked for was something else entirely. They asked for a response that did not add more pain to an already painful situation.
Today, many people feel worn down by division, outrage, and the constant pull to take sides. Love asks for a response that seeks healing over harm, clarity over reaction, and humanity over blame.
There is something important to notice here. You can only give away what you have. What you have, and what you are, at your very essence is Love. That essence is always present. It may feel buried under frustration, disappointment, or resentment, though it is there. In this context, Love means choosing the response that leaves the least harm behind.
Across spiritual traditions, Love sits at the center. The Bible, the Torah, and the Qur’an all speak to loving your neighbor. The Dalai Lama has said, “My religion is kindness.” Together, they point to the same truth.
Loving-kindness, one of the Four Immeasurables taught by the Buddha, asks that all beings be well and Happy. That includes people you disagree with. It includes people who have hurt you, and this is where the work becomes real.
It is easy to feel Love in moments that are pleasant. It is more challenging when you are faced with betrayal, loss, or conflict. The instinct is often to close, to protect, or to react. That reaction can keep you tied to the very pain you are trying to move beyond.
In South Africa’s Babemba tribe, when someone does something dishonorable, the community gathers around that person. Instead of accusing them, they speak of all the good that person has done. This can go on for days. At the end, the person is welcomed back. This is not about ignoring harmful behavior. Harmful behavior still needs to be named, stopped, or addressed. What these people understand is that one action does not define the entirety of a person. Love asks you to see beyond the surface and reconnect with something deeper.
Applying Love in difficult moments is not about approval. Releasing what keeps you stuck allows you to choose a response that moves you forward rather than remain tied to anger, blame, or hurt. When you hold onto those feelings, your body feels it. Your thoughts circle. Your energy narrows. When you allow Love to come in, something shifts. Your breath deepens. Your thinking opens. You regain access to yourself.
Maybe there is a place in your life where this applies right now. It could be a conversation that ended badly. It could be a relationship that changed without explanation. Something you have been carrying for longer than you intended.
There have been moments in my own life when Love was the only way I could stop carrying the hurt. I had to look at what the relationship taught me, accept the lesson, and release the resentment that kept me tied to the pain. The invitation is not to fix everything at once. It is to notice where Love could offer a different way forward.
Your Practice: Love Before Reaction
This month, notice one moment when you feel triggered, frustrated, or hurt. Before responding, pause. Ask yourself, “What would Love ask of me here?”
The answer may not be agreement. It may not be staying in the situation. It may be setting a boundary. It may be stepping back. What matters is that your response comes from a place that allows you to move forward with clarity and heart rather than remain in reaction.
Photo Op
Take one photo of something that has been repaired.
Action Opportunity
Under your photo, write a few sentences about a place in your life where Love could help repair anger, distance, or hurt.
There is strength in choosing how you respond. What happened remains part of the story. What you choose next decides where the story goes.
This article includes an excerpt from my debut book, “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want,” which reached Amazon’s #1 Bestseller list in the Creativity Self-Help category and was an Eric Hoffer Literary Award Finalist. It was voted “Best Personal Development Book of the Year 2024” and received the “2025 Leader of the Year” award from this magazine.
The book has won thirteen prestigious awards, including the Silver Nautilus Book Award and multiple category honors from the NYC Big Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, Best Book Award, and the Independent Press Award. It was also featured in Times Square, New York.
“You can only give away what you have. What you have, and what you are, at your very essence is Love.”
-Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA
You can find more intentional practices in my book or by downloading my Take a Shot at Happiness app.
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