An Exploration of Love

Join me on a five-day exploration of love.
Be inspired by words, art and music to explore what love means to you and how you want it to manifest in your life.

Full Playlist: An Exploration of Love


Day 1 – Defining Love

Questions to contemplate
What does love mean to me?
What are the different types of love I experience or want to experience?
What does love feel like?
Who or what do I think of when I think of love?
What’s one word that describes love to me?

Quotes to explore
Love is like the wind, you can’t see it, but you can feel it.” — Nicholas Sparks

“If you do not know what you feel, then it is difficult to choose love.” — Bell Hooks

“We can only learn to love by loving.” — Iris Murdoch

“When I look at you, I can feel it. I look at you, and I’m home.” — Finding Nemo

“Love is a friendship set to music.” — Joseph Campbell

Songs to flow to in your exploration
1. What is Love? Haddaway
2. Is this Love? – Bob Marley & The Wailers
3. What is this Love – Blue Rodeo
4. Lovesong – Jessy J
5. Must be the Love (Enamour Remix) – ARTY, Nadia Ali, BT, Enamour
6. This is What Falling in Love Feels Like – JVKE
7. You can’t Hurry Love – The Supremes
8. In the Name of Love – Saxity
9. What’s Love Got to Do with it – Kygo, Tina Turner
10. I want to Know What Love is – Foreigner
Playlist (song 1-10)

Mantra to meditate on: “I welcome and choose love”


Day 2 – Self Love

Questions to contemplate
Do I believe I am worthy of love?
In what ways do I show love for myself?
When was the last time I told myself “I love you”?
What do I love most about myself?
What are my top five personal values?

Quotes to explore
“Before life’s purpose comes self-love. You must love yourself before you can love your expression of self.”

“Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it, our other efforts to love fail. Giving ourselves love we provide our inner being with the opportunity to have the unconditional love we may have always longed to receive from someone else.” — Bell Hooks

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha

If you love yourself, you love others. If you hate yourself, you hate others. Because in relationships with others… the other is nothing but a mirror.”

Songs to flow to in your exploration
11. Love Myself – Hailee Steinfeld
12. Good as Hell – Lizzo
13. If You Don’t Love Yourself – The Script
14. i – Kendrick Lamar
15. Self Love – Jayson Lyric, Nevaeh
16. Be Good to Yourself – Journey
17. Could You Be Loved – Bob Marley & The Wailers
18. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) – Ne-Yo
19. Love Me More – Sam Smith
20. LOVE – Jhené Aiko
Playlist (song 11-20)

Mantra to meditate on: “I love myself, and every day I fall more in love with myself”


Day 3 – Receiving Love

Questions to contemplate
What does it mean to allow another person to truly love me?
How do I want to be loved?
Do I believe I am open to being loved? How do I know?
What is the most vulnerable way I let someone into my life?
What does being loved feel like for me?

Quotes to explore
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” — Maya Angelou

“I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more.” — Angelita Lim

“Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.” — Loretta Young

Songs to flow to in your exploration
21. Just the Way You are – Bruno Mars
22. Love Like This – Faith Evans
23. Let me Love You – DJ Snake, Justin Bieber
24. Own It – Stormzy, Burna Boy, Ed Sheeran
25. Do You – Troy Boi
26. Love Tonight – Shouse, David Guetta
27. Love Me Harder – Ariana Grande, The Weeknd
28. Learn Ya – 6LACK
29. Better Together – Jack Johnson
30. The Heart Asks Pleasure First – Michael Nyman
Playlist (song 21-30)

Mantra to meditate on: “I accept and receive more love, abundance and harmony into my life”


Day 4 – Giving Love

Questions to contemplate
How do I want to love?
What are my love languages?
How do I know when I love someone?
What do I want people to feel when they’re around me?
How has the way my family loved affected the way I give and receive love?

Quotes to explore
“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music, a little more poetry, and a little more dance to it.” ― Osho

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Songs to flow to in your exploration
31. Be my Lover– La Bouche
32. My love – Justin Timberlake, T.I.
33. Somebody Loves You – Aly & Fila, Plumb, Paul Thomas
34. I Love You Always Forever– Donna Lewis
35. Only Want You – Rita Ora
36. LOVE – Kendrick Lamar, Zacari
37. I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton
38. I Just Called to Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder
39. That’s the Way Love Goes – Janet Jackson
40. No Man No Cry – Oliver Koletzki, Jimmy Sax
Playlist (song 31-40)

Mantra to meditate on: “Today my heart is open, and I am ready to love.”


Day 5 – Manifesting & Celebrating Love

Questions to contemplate
How do I create space for love?
Who do I love and what am I doing about it?
Are my actions guided by love or by fear?
What are three words that describe the aspirations I have for my love life?
What does healthy love look like to me?

Quotes to explore
Find love in each moment.”

“We are most alive when we are in love.” — John Updike

“There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved” – George Sand

“Love doesn’t make the world go ’round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones

“Love does not dominate; it cultivates.” — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything.” — Bil Keane

Songs to flow to in your exploration
41. Big Love– Louis the Child, EARTHGANG
42. All I Want – Tube & Berger, Goatchy
43. When Love Takes Over – Davida Guetta, Kelly Rowland
44. Where Have You Been – Rihanna
45. Lovesong – Snake River Conspiracy
46. Love Life – Desire
47. Realla – TOKiMONSTA, Anderson .Paak
48. Dance for Me Wallis – Abel Korzeniowski
49. Cosmic Love – Florence + the Machine
50. Love Mantra – Dossé-Via
Playlist (song 41-50)

Mantra to meditate on: “Every day and in every way, I attract more and more love into my life”

Music for Inspiration – 2021

In the midst of COVID, I started leaning on music to find inspiration, release, escape and enjoyment. My focus leaned towards albums. I am fascinated by the storytelling component of a full album. I’ve focused on exploring mostly LPs (Long play records – usually 8 songs or more) with some EPs (extended play records – usually 4-6 songs). Some come as recommendations, some are stuck in my head when I wake up, and other times I explore an artist I’ve recently discovered or haven’t listed to in a number of years.

This is year 2 of exploring albums and different artists. 2020 full list is available here. See this post for my top 10 albums of 2020. New albums released in 2021 are noted.

  • Saturday, Jan 2: Madvillain, Madlib, MF DOOM – Madvillainy
  • Sunday, Jan 3: SAULT – Untitled (Rise)
  • Monday, Jan 4: FKJ – French Kiwi Juice
  • Tuesday, Jan 5: BERWYN – DEMOTAPE/VEGA
  • Wednesday, Jan 6: Amber Mark – 3:33am
  • Thursday, Jan 7: Nbdy – Admissions
  • Friday, Jan 8: SAMA’ – SAMA’ – BBC RADIO 1 ESSENTIAL MIX – 2019.07.06 (set)
  • Monday, Jan 11: Sublime – Sublime
  • Tuesday, Jan 12: Jim Bryson, The Weakerthans – The Falcon Lake Incident
  • Wednesday, Jan 13: Michael Franks – The Art of Tea
  • Thursday, Jan 14: Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
  • Friday, Jan 15: Dolly Parton – Coat of Many Colors
  • Tuesday, Jan 19: Brian McKnight – Anytime
  • Wednesday, Jan 20: Cristoph – On the Inside
  • Thursday, Jan 21: Gogol Bordello – Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strikes
  • Friday, Jan 22: 112 – Part III
  • Monday, Jan 25: Kelsey Lu – Blood
  • Tuesday, Jan 26: Dwson – Impulsiv
  • Wednesday, Jan 27: Yves Tumor – Heaven To A Tortured Mind
  • Thursday, Jan 28: Maxwell – Now
  • Friday, Jan 29: Jack Johnson – In Between Dreams
  • Monday, Feb 1: Weezer – OK Human [2021]
  • Tuesday, Feb 2: Santino Le Saint – Rage of Angels
  • Wednesday, Feb 3: Madlib – Sounds Ancestors [2021]
  • Thursday, Feb 4: Flume – Flume: Deluxe Edition
  • Friday, Feb 5: Moon Boots – First Landing
  • Monday, Feb 8: SG Lewis – Dawn
  • Tuesday, Feb 9: Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight [2021]
  • Wednesday, Feb 10: islandman – Kaybola (Deluxe Vesion)
  • Thursday, Feb 11: Against All Logic – 2017-2019
  • Friday, Feb. 12: Bonobo – Late Night Tales: Bonobo
  • Tuesday, Feb 16: Black Coffee – Subconsciously [2021]
  • Wednesday, Feb 17: Tank – Savage
  • Thursday, Feb 18: Sam Shure – Laconia
  • Friday, Feb 19: Keith Jarrett – Budapest Concert (Live)
  • Monday, Feb 22: Bob Moses – Desire
  • Tuesday, Feb 23: U-Roy – Dread in A Babylon
  • Wednesday, Feb 24: Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
  • Thursday, Feb 25: Bicep – Isles [2021]
  • Friday, Feb. 26: Hoody – Alpine Grooves, Vol 7 (Kristallhutte)
  • Monday, March 1: Idris Elba – Murdah Loves John
  • Tuesday, March 2: Phoebe Bridger – Punisher
  • Wednesday, March 3: Meg Myers – Sorry
  • Thursday, March 4: Crossfade – Crossfade
  • Friday, March 5: Bunny Wailer – Blackheart Man
  • Monday, March 8: Kings of Leon – When you see yourself [2021]
  • Tuesday, March 9: U2 – The Joshua Tree
  • Wednesday, March 10: Gregoire Maret, Roman Collins, Bill Frisell – Americana

My Top 10 Albums of 2020

In no particular order. These are the albums that helped keep me going this year.

  1. The Gaslamp Killer – Heart Math
  2. Chromeo – Quarantine Casanovas
  3. Moses Sumney – Græ
  4. The Weeknd – After Hours
  5. Jordan Rakei – Origin (Deluxe Edition)
  6. Franky Wah – The Revival, Vol. 1
  7. DVBBS – Nothing to see here
  8. Major Lazer, Diplo – Music is the Weapon
  9. Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
  10. SAINT JHN – While the World was Burning

Music for Inspiration – 2020

In the midst of COVID, I started leaning on music to find inspiration, release, escape and enjoyment. My focus leaned towards albums. I am fascinated by the storytelling component of a full album. I’ve focused on exploring mostly LPs (Long play records – usually 8 songs or more) with some EPs (extended play records – usually 4-6 songs). Some come as recommendations, some are stuck in my head when I wake up, and other times I explore an artist I’ve recently discovered or haven’t listed to in a number of years.

Here is the list of albums I’ve compiled in 2020.

  • Wednesday, April 1: Kolsch – 1983
  • Thursday, April 2: Kaytranada – BUBBA
  • Friday, April 3: Sunlounger, Roger Shah – The Beach Side of Life
  • Monday, April 6: Booka Shade – Eve
  • Tuesday, April 7: RJD2 – Deadringer: Deluxe
  • Wednesday, April 8: Olafur Arnalds – For Now I am Winter
  • Thursday, April 9: 6lack – FREE 6LACK
  • Friday, April 10: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network Soundtrack
  • Monday, April 13: System of a Down – Mezmerize
  • Tuesday, April 14: The Roots – Things Fall Apart
  • Wednesday, April 15: Tiesto – Just Be
  • Thursday, April 16: TOKIMONSTA – Oasis Nocturo
  • Friday, April 17: Black Coffee – Pieces of Me
  • Monday, April 20: Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet – Requiem for a Dream Soundtrack
  • Tuesday, April 21: SAINT JHN – Collection One *Bonus track: Roses – Imanbok Remix
  • Wednesday, April 22: HEALTH – VOL.4:: SLAVES OF FEAR
  • Thursday, April 23: Michael Nyman – The Piano Soundtrack
  • Friday, April 24: Queen of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
  • Monday, April 27: Oliver Koletzki – The Aric of Tension *Bonus track: No Man No Cry – Jimmy Sax Version
  • Tuesday, April 28: 2Pac – All Eyez On Me
  • Wednesday, April 29: Daft Punk – Discovery
  • Thursday, April 30: Aaliyah – Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number
  • Friday, May 1: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
  • Monday, May 4: Bones UK – Bones UK
  • Tuesday, May 5: Various Artist – Cruel Intentions Soundtrack
  • Wednesday, May 6: Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap
  • Thursday, May 7: Benny Benassi – Hypnotica (Benny Benassi Presents The Biz)
  • Friday, May 8: Matthew Good Band – Beautiful Midnight
  • Monday, May 11: Betty Wright – I Love The Way You Love
  • Tuesday, May 12: Dojo Cat – Amala
  • Wednesday, May 13: Avicii – True
  • Thursday, May 14: Daniel Caesar – Freudian
  • Friday, May 15: Blue Rodeo – Five Days in July
  • Monday, May 18: Khalid – American Teen
  • Tuesday, May 19: Eurythmics – Touch
  • Wednesday, May 20: Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
  • Thursday, May 21: Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend
  • Friday, May 22: Buddha-Bar – Buddha-Bar Beach
  • Tuesday, May 26: Tash Sultana – Flow State
  • Wednesday, May 27: Jeremih – Late Nights: The Album
  • Thursday, May 28: Mari Samuelson – Mari
  • Friday, May 29: Erykah Badu – Baduizm
  • Monday, June 1: Leon Bridges – Good Thing
  • Tuesday, June 2: Stormzy – Heavy is the Head
  • Wednesday, June 3: Ludovico Einaudi – I Giorni
  • Thursday, June 4: Snoh Aalegra – Ugh, those feels again
  • Friday, June 5: Yo-Yo Ma – Obrigado Brazil
  • Monday, June 8: Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End of Day
  • Tuesday, June 9: Dawn of Midi – Dysnomia
  • Wednesday, June 10: Bad Bunny – YHLQMDLG
  • Thursday, June 11: Tiesto – In Search of Sunrise 5 Los Angeles Mixed by Tiesto
  • Friday, June 12: Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman
  • Monday, June 15: Garbage – Garbage (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
  • Tuesday, June 16: Snake River Conspiracy – Sonic Jihad
  • Wednesday, June 17: HalfTribe – For The Summer, or Forever
  • Thursday, June 18: dvsn – A Muse in Her Feelings
  • Friday, June 19: Chromeo – Quarantine Casanovas
  • Monday, June 22: Dirty Vegas – Dirty Vegas
  • Tuesday, June 23: A.CHAL – EXOTIGAZ
  • Wednesday, June 24: The Temper Trap – Conditions
  • Monday, June 29: Nelly Furtado – Loose
  • Monday, July 6: Khruangbin – Mordechai
  • Wednesday, July 8: Daddy Yankee – Barrio Fino
  • Thursday, July 9: Phish – Amsterdam
  • Tuesday, July 14: KISS – Dynasty
  • Thursday, July 16: Crazy P – When We On
  • Friday, July 17: Akram Abdulfattah – Jawa
  • Monday, July 20: Kygo – Golden Hour
  • Tuesday, July 21: Franky Wah – The Revival, Vol. 1
  • Wednesday, July 22: Rihanna – Music of the Sun
  • Monday, July 27: Witchcraft – Legend
  • Wednesday, July 29: The Roots – Illadeph Halflife
  • Wednesday, August 5: Ben Bohmer – Breathing
  • Tuesday, August 11: Jennifer Lopez – On the 6
  • Wednesday, August 12: James Blake – Assume Form
  • Friday, August 14: Jordan Rakei – Origin
  • Tuesday, August 18: Chet Faker – Built on Glass
  • Monday, August 24: Tiesto – Kaleidoscope
  • Tuesday, August 25: Elder Island – Seeds in Sand
  • Thursday, August 27: Tourist – Wild
  • Monday, August 31: BADBADNOTGOOD – III
  • Tuesday, Sept. 1: Shad – The Old Prince
  • Wednesday, Sept. 2: The Cinematic Orchestra – Man with a Movie Camera
  • Thursday, Sept. 3: J Dilla – The Shining
  • Friday, Sept. 4: Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving
  • Tuesday, Sept. 8: Paolo Nutini – Caustic Love
  • Wednesday, Sept. 9: Jacob Banks – Village
  • Thursday, Sept. 10: Ziggy Alberts – Laps Around the Sun
  • Friday, Sept. 11: Stefan Biniak – Nighttales
  • Monday, Sept. 14: The Gaslamp Killer – Breakthrough
  • Tuesday, Sept. 15: Jamie xx – In Colour
  • Wednesday, Sept. 16: Songhoy Blues – Music In Exile
  • Thursday, Sept. 17: Sunlounger – Roger Shah presents Sunlounger presents Sunlounger (Balearic Beauty)
  • Friday, Sept. 18: Nosaj Thing – Views/Octopus EP
  • Monday, Sept. 21: Anthony B – Black Star
  • Tuesday, Sept. 22: Icarus – This Must be the Place
  • Thursday, Sept. 24: Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
  • Friday, Sept. 25: Halftribe – Backwater Revisited
  • Monday, Sept. 28: Wayne Wonder – No Holding Back
  • Tuesday, Sept. 29: Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing
  • Wednesday, Sept. 30: The Weeknd – Afterhours
  • Thursday, Oct. 1: Tube & Berger – We Are All Stars
  • Friday, Oct. 2: Swedish House Mafia – Until Now
  • Monday, Oct. 5: Abel Korzeniowski – W.E. – Music from the Motion Picture
  • Tuesday, Oct. 6: Whilk & Misky – My Round
  • Wednesday, Oct. 7: Carlos Vives – VIVES
  • Thursday, Oct. 8: Christopher Willits – Sunset
  • Friday, Oct. 9: DVBBS – Nothing to See Here
  • Monday, Oct. 12: Headie One – EDNA
  • Tuesday, Oct. 13: Tom Misch – Beat Tape 2
  • Wednesday, Oct. 14: Cary Brothers – Who you are
  • Thursday, Oct. 15: Bob Marley & the Wailers – Exodus (Deluxe Edition)
  • Friday, Oct 16: Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury
  • Friday, Oct. 16 (Bonus): Toots & the Maytals – Funky Kingston
  • Monday, Oct. 19: Potatohead People – Big Luxury
  • Tuesday, Oct. 20: Madame Ghandi – Visions
  • Wednesday, Oct. 21: French Montana – Jungle Rules
  • Thursday, Oct 22: Rufus Du Sol – SOLACE
  • Friday, Oct. 23: Zhu – GENERATIONWHY
  • Monday, Nov. 2: Tobe Nwigwe – THE ORIGINALS
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: India.Arie – SongVersation: Medicine
  • Wednesday, Nov. 4: Ludovico Einaudi – Una Mattina
  • Thursday, Nov. 5: Nat King Cole – The Very Thought of You
  • Monday, Nov. 9: Louis Armstrong – Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
  • Tuesday, Nov. 10: Klingande – The Album
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: Point Point – Contrastive Focus Reduplication
  • Thursday, Nov. 12: Cecile McLorin Salvant – The Window
  • Monday, Nov. 16: Louis The Child – Here for Now
  • Tuesday, Nov. 17: Roy Woods – Say Less
  • Wednesday, Nov. 18: Philip Glass – REWORK (Philip Glass Remixed)
  • Thursday, Nov. 19: Klangkarussell – Netzwerk (Deluxe)
  • Friday, Nov. 20: Seneca B – Rascal
  • Monday, Nov. 23: Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
  • Tuesday, Nov. 24: Disclosure – ENERGY (Deluxe)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 25: Jax Jones – Snacks (Supersize)
  • Monday, Nov. 30: Major Lazer, Diplo – Music is the Weapon
  • Tuesday, Dec. 1: David Das – Minimalist Metrics
  • Wednesday, Dec. 2: Moses Sumney – Grae
  • Thursday, Dec. 3: Immanuel Wilkins – Omega
  • Friday, Dec. 4: Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
  • Monday, Dec. 7: Burna Boy – Twice as Tall
  • Tuesday Dec. 8: Sekou Andrews, The String Theory – Sekou Andrews & The String Theory
  • Wednesday, Dec. 9: Fatboy Slim – Big Beach Bootique 5
  • Thursday, Dec. 10: Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
  • Friday, Dec. 11: Dermot Kennedy – Without Fear
  • Monday, Dec. 14: Various Artists – Erased Tapes Collection V
  • Tuesday, Dec. 15: Mike Jones – Who is Mike Jones?
  • Wednesday, Dec. 16: Ramin Djawadi – Westworld: Season 3 (Music from the HBO Series)
  • Thursday, Dec. 17: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
  • Friday, Dec. 18: Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour
  • Monday, Dec. 21: J. Cole – Snow on Tha Bluff (Single)
  • Tuesday, Dec. 22: Elton John – Too Low for Zero
  • Wednesday, Dec. 23: Example – Won’t Go Quietly
  • Monday, Dec. 28: Filip Ekestubbe Trio – On a Clear Day
  • Tuesday, Dec. 29: Dessa – Chime
  • Wednesday, Dec. 30: Aesop Rock – Spirit World Field Guide
  • Thursday, Dec. 31: Armin van Buuren – RELAXED