What's LOVE got to do with it?

Today is the one day of the year dedicated to LOVE. A shame really that it is commercially hijacked for the sole focus of romantic Love, when in fact we could be taking the opportunity to celebrate LOVE in all its various forms.

It's not common to use the concept of LOVE in business, and those professionals who are courageous enough, stand out from the crowd. One of the things which impressed me most about Nigel Temple when I saw him present for the first time, was the fact that not only did he use a visualisation technique to get everyone to look into the future and where they wanted to take their business, but that he also highlighted LOVE as a key element to successful networking. Not, of course, the romantic kind, but the kind which applies generosity - the passing on of contacts and word of mouth referral.

In the celebrated book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino suggests the use of LOVE to disarm an awkward customer, or influence an otherwise resistant potential client. My partner often tells the story of arriving for a third meeting with a potential client, who had previously cancelled meetings while he was waiting in reception or dismissed him after 5 minutes. This time round, having been reading Og Mandino's book, he decided to apply the teachings of the second scroll, which recommended looking at the person in question and silently saying "I love you." Sounds kind of weird, doesn't it...?! Nevermind that, it worked! The demeanor of the client immediately changed, and they ended up doing a great deal of business together.

LOVE does in fact permeate and influence every area of our lives, and where there is no LOVE, there will be uncertainty and maybe even disarray. I was asked to produce a poem about LOVE for a dinner party last night, the eve of St Valentine's Day. Here is my contribution:

What’s LOVE got to do with it?

Poets write about it,
Singers sing about it.
What is this thing called LOVE?

Hearts melt over it,
The same hearts break over it.
Where is it, heavens above?

It’s the LOVE of friends,
When their best friend mends
From an illness or that broken heart.

It’s the family who are there
To show that they care
When your world has fallen apart.

It’s the delight of a child
And their heart-melting smiles
To show that they’re happy to see you.

It’s the joy that you feel
From a home-cooked meal,
A walk in the hills, or a sea view.

It’s that wonderful greeting,
To show they’ve been waiting,
From your dog as you walk through the door.

It’s all of these things
Of which singers sing,
These, and so much more.

It’s the thing that sustains all life on earth
And feeds us body and soul.
You can’t buy it, copy it or get one better,
But it’s LOVE that makes us whole.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!