Do things from love, not for love

Inertia — Nº181

The Gondola, 1868 by Frederick Walker

People say it’s just a feeling. In one way, it is. But it’s also a force. A wellspring of some of the purest energy you’ll find. It moves mountains, changes lives, reshapes worlds. Most importantly, it’s more than a transaction.

It’s something else entirely. Not a coin you toss into the universe’s wishing well, like a receipt to say you’ll come back for what you are owed. It’s a fire in your belly, a spark in your soul, that drives you to act, to move, to create—not for a pat on the back, but to personify the best expression of yourself.

I grew up surrounded by love. I’m always grateful for that. Despite the hell that could be happening in the background, my parents did their best to reel it behind the curtains and place love in front. Some may say this isn’t the healthiest way to do it, but it shaped me well until I was old enough to pull those curtains back myself.

I learned from them how to do things without expecting something in return—even a thank you sometimes. Because to always think you are owed is like injecting yourself with small amounts of poison over time. You waltz into a room trying to help people for the wrong reasons. It becomes too much about you and not them. Not everything can be 100% selfish, but too much of this incites resentment, turning you into someone who’s good only when they get what they want.

Think back. When was the last time you did something purely from the heart? Not for likes, not for praise, not even for that warm feeling of being a “good person”. Just because it was right. Because it was needed. Because you couldn’t not do it—where it will feel natural to walk away and move on with life right afterwards.

That sweet spot. That’s where your magic comes from. That’s when people say they simply have a feeling about you. When your actions flow from the right place, untainted by ego or expectation, that’s when you’re tapping into something special. You become a conduit for goodness. A vessel for light when the world can feel pretty dark.

It’s not always easy to have 100% unrefined selflessness. Our egos are crafty little things, always trying to sneak in and boil you over. But each time you push past it, each time you choose to act from love rather than for it, you’re letting your heart answer, not your ego. You’re building something that lasts in you—not a trophy case, not a reputation. A legacy. Character. A world that people gravitate towards.

Small acts ripple outward, touching lives you’ll probably never see. But that’s how we change the world—not by seeking love, but by being it.