In 1967, The Beatles released a song called, “All You Need is Love”. The words of the chorus summed up the simple message:
All you need is love,
Ta-da-da-da-da,
All you need is love,
Ta-da-da-da-da,
All you need is love, love;
Love is all you need.
The Beatles manager Brian Epstein said of the song, which became something of an anthem for the “love” generation, “The nice thing about it is that it cannot be misinterpreted. It is a clear message saying that love is everything.”
While this message may cause many of us to raise our eyebrows, shake our heads, roll our eyes, and skeptically say, “Yeah, right! What about money and a job and a home and health and food and insurance and clothes and transportation and braces and my children’s education and a nice retirement package?”, turns out that there may be more truth in the words than we might imagine.
It’s February – the month of hearts, flowers, chocolates, and valentines. Researchers tell us that this year Americans will spend $17.6 billion to show their affection, making Valentine’s Day the second highest-grossing holiday, second only to Christmas. One source says that $703 million of that will be spent on pets!
We human beings love love. And there’s a reason for it. Love is believed to be our strongest need and driver. Barbara Fredrickson, psychology professor at the University of North Carolina, has spent the last fifteen years studying the science of human emotions and has concluded that love affects everything human beings “feel, think, do, and become”, including how the brain works. She says, “Love transforms people…making them more positive, resilient, optimistic, persistent, healthier, and happier.”
The latest issue of ESPN magazine features a story about a pastor named Jack Easterby who has become a powerfully positive influence on the New England Patriots. Because of Easterby’s impact on the team, the “supposedly soulless Patriots…run on hugs.” He’s tapped into that most basic of human needs. As Patriot’s special team’s captain Matt Slater puts it, “As macho as we are in the locker room, we all want to be loved.”
Turns out that love is the secret ingredient that makes for great workplaces. Mark C. Crowley’s article “Why Engagement Happens in Employees’ Hearts, Not Their Minds” in Fast Company addresses this phenomenon. When Crowley asked Dr. Frederickson if a person’s engagement at work is established and fueled by feelings of love, her response was clear. “When people are made to feel cared for, nurtured, and growing, that will serve the organization well…If you feel uniquely seen, understood, valued and appreciated, that will hook you into being committed to the team, leader, and organization.”
So, perhaps we should put some of our skepticism aside. Spread the love – not just on Valentine’s Day but every day. And if the words and tune of The Beatles’ song should get stuck in your head today, it’s not a bad message to remember. “All you need is love, love; Love is all you need.”
