Do you love me?

As long as I keep running about asking: "Do you love me? Do you really love me?" I give all the power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with 'ifs.' The world says: "Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent and wealthy. I love you if you produce much, sell much and buy much." There are endless 'ifs' hidden in the world's love. These 'ifs' enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world's love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain 'hooked' to the world--trying, failing, and trying again. It is a world that fosters addiction because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart. --Henri Nouwen, "The Return of the Prodigal Son." (pg. 42)