PART 7

L IS FOR LOVE

Doing the right thing for your brain health is the ultimate act of love for self and others. Love is the motivation that prompts us to put in the consistent effort and make the changes required to get healthy. Plus, love is the culmination of all the steps we’ve looked at so far. In this chapter I’ll explore six different types of love (need-love, gift-love, family-love, friendship, erotic love, and agape or selfless love) and how each relates to your ability to get and stay well. Altruism, which is a combination of gift-love and agape, has been shown to significantly increase happiness in a short period of time.