Flickr: amanda tipton

I LOVE Valentines Day, but lately I’ve been feeling like I’m in the minority. I hear people say things like it’s a “hallmark holiday,” or “it’s designed to make people who aren’t in relationships feel bad about themselves.” I couldn’t disagree more!

The way I see it, Valentines Day is just an excuse to shower the people in our lives who matter to us with love. Call me a romantic, but I believe love is the most powerful force we’ve got. Regardless of where we’re from, we’ve all experienced it in some shape or form.

Case in point- Every now and again, members from our team will ask global citizens what they feel makes a global citizen. And you know what word repeatedly comes up? Love. Loving our neighbors, loving the planet, you name it. There is so much to say about love and its power to bring people together, but I feel I can’t do the word justice. Instead, here are ten inspiring quotes that I hope will warm your heart this Valentines Day :)

Mother Teresa | Flickr: @Pete_de_Aztlan

1. “Do small things with great love.” -Mother Teresa

2.“The first duty of love is to listen.”- Paul Tillich

Martin Luther King Junior

3. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” MLK Junior

4. “It’s not about how much we give but about how much love we put into giving.” - Mother Teresa

Nelson Mandela | Flickr: Domenico

5. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”- Nelson Mandela

6.“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.”- MLK Junior

Gandhi | Wikipedia Commons

7. “Where there is love, there is life.” - Gandhi

8. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”- Dalai Lama

Mary Angelou | Flickr: Wheelock College

9. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” - Maya Angelou

10. “The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds.” - Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama | Flickr: Michael Thibault


And here is my favorite cliche to wrap this piece up: Love is all you need. That line takes on extra importance this year. 2015 is the year our world leaders are setting the “to-do” list for the next 15 years of global development. Let’s show our love for the world and push our leaders to make the right decisions this year that will bring an end to extreme poverty.

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Christina Nuñez

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Demand Equity

10 inspiring quotes on love

By Christina Nuñez