February is a month to celebrate love in all its forms and the richness of Black history. With Valentine’s Day around the corner and the midway point of Black History Month approaching, we should spend some time highlighting people and words worth remembering, so below are 5 quotes from Black people that can help you expand and strengthen your approach to love: 

“Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape." – “All About Love” by Bell Hooks 

Being content while you are alone is a power that benefits both you and the people around you. It allows you to be present and engaged in community instead of being consumed by it, and it lets you form more intentional relationships. Learn to embrace solitude as an opportunity to create a deeper connection with yourself.

“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” – Bob Marley

Be grateful for your life, and take actions that your future self will be grateful for. Despite how you may be feeling, there is always something to love and cherish about the life you currently live. Each day, you can make an effort to create the life you desire and make choices fueled out of love, passion, and intention– even if it's in very little ways.   

“... even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking and sometimes does break. But even when it’s in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer love.” – “Stay with Me” by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

Love might challenge you to be resilient, to problem solve, and to make the choice to love even when the conditions that make love easy aren’t present. That doesn’t mean that  you should stay in places that hurt and hinder you, but you should acknowledge that lasting love doesn’t rely on having a perfect environment. Love relies on the work you’re willing to do to preserve it. So, when love is “in a thousand pieces around your feet,” perhaps, you could look at it as an opportunity to rebuild love with new purpose. 

“One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong.” – “Strength to Love” by Martin Luther King Jr.

Love may not always be rational, but it should be intentional. It is important to reflect on your thoughts and beliefs so that you are aware of how they manifest in your actions. If your heart is the primary guide of your actions, you can end up making choices you regret or being in situations where you hurt yourself or others. Lean into your emotions, but also remember where those emotions are coming from.

“Look inward, the loving begins with you.” – Oprah Winfrey

Being a part of the  Insiders Community means that you realize how important it is to do the inner work necessary to create the outer world you desire, and when it comes to love, this is no different. Practicing love towards yourself is vital, and it helps you navigate the world with more grace and consideration.  Last week, we shared 10  journal prompts that can help you strengthen your self-love practice, and you can find hundreds more prompts for self-reflection in our Better Every Day and Dig Deeper Journals!