Book Reflection: Let Love Have the Last Word

How do you define love? It's one of those words that you can feel, but not be able to articulate. In his New York Times bestselling memoir, Let Love Have the Last Word, Common analyzes love from his perspective. He recognizes love as a powerful force that shapes the way we live. The book touches on different aspects of love including God's love, self-love, love of partners, and love of family. He defines love as a practice, something that requires time, effort, and attention. Common acknowledges that love is hard, and discusses his own shortcomings in giving love. It can be difficult to focus on love when there is so much negativity in the world. However, practicing love can serve as an antidote that can help us overcome these challenges. In some of the most impoverished places, love shines and helps people live enriched lives. As Common mentions, love requires us to be vulnerable and honest. It also asks us to listen and be patient with those we love. As humans, we crave love. It influences many of our actions and emotions, but yet we don't fully understand it. This book is powerful because it encourages us to do our own self-assessment of love in our lives. While reading, I often thought about how love has operated in my life. I realized that the people I love are those that have made the greatest impression on my life. They have invested love into me, and I can only hope that I have done the same for them. Love is strengthened when it is reciprocated. Though it may not solve all of our problems, leading with love is the way to ensure that we are on track for progress and healing. Let Love Have the Last Word is also a good read for artists, as it provides insight into Common's creative process. He describes creativity as a way to experience love through divine expression. Art requires us to be vulnerable and be comfortable exposing ourselves to the world. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It provides a great conversation about love in its many forms. It's not too often that you get to go inside of the mind of one of your favorite artists. If you want to check out Let Love Have the Last Word, feel free to order or preview using the link below. Thanks for reading!