If there's one thing all humans know from the moment we emerge from the womb, it's that Love is good. It's as clear and simple at that point in our lives as breathing. As we get older, however, the idea of Love morphs into different things for each of us. For some, Love turns into a lust for power or sex or money or electronics or religion or politics or...you get the picture. But this post isn't about your personal definition of Love. It's about the word Love. The idea of Love.
When you consider how many songs, poems, paintings, movies, etc. were created with the idea of Love as its core concept, we can all agree that this one little word has a pretty huge impact on us. On all of us. Across cultures.
On April 4, 2009, we conducted a test to see whether Love really could conquer all. And boy, did it. Thousands of people across Social Media tweeted, posted and mentioned I Love You. This blog received over 70,000 visits, and #iloveyou was a top trending topic on Twitter. More importantly, this one innocuous yet powerful act changed people's lives - if only for a day. Don't believe it? Check the comments below.
This year we're not conducting an experiment, we're building on momentum. On April 4, 2010 (a Sunday), we ask that you post "I Love You" in your social media circles JUST ONCE. No, we're not asking you to say you Love Social Media, or Facebook, or Twitter, your mother or even your pet iguana for that matter. And we're not asking you to endorse any religion, ethnicity, brand, holiday or any other possible reason you could conjure. We're just asking you to post "I Love You" once in one of your social media streams. In Facebook as a status, in Twitter as a post, hell - you can even post it in Linkedin if you want (it's a Sunday, so no one is going to think any less of you for spreading such a positive message).
Why Because with all of the shit in the world today we need this.
We do not seek to own this endeavor in any way. So please, take this concept and run with it. After all, you can't really copyright Love. The only profit we seek is to look into our Social Media stream and see hundreds or thousands of people sharing an emotion that we were all born with - and to remind each other that Love is still the most powerful force on earth.
Among thousands of others, U2 wrote a song about Love for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It just so happens that April 4 is the anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. Again, this initiative is not an endorsement of any group, ethnicity or religion. But it's a damn fine coincidence to spread Love on a day that's scarred with hate.
Join us on April 4th by using ten little characters to help change the world. After all, there really is no downside. I Love You.
Become a fan of ILoveYou on Facebook
Follow @sayiloveyou on Twitter.
Lyrics to 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' by U2
One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come, he to justify
One man to overthrow
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach.
One man betrayed with a kiss
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
(nobody like you...)
Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love...
