Felice Leonardo “Leo” Buscaglia (1924–98) was an American self-help author and motivational speaker. He championed the philosophy that love heals all and gained a reputation as an “apostle of love” for concluding his speeches by hugging every audience member.
Buscaglia got his start as a speech therapist and a supervisor of special education in Pasadena, California. When working as an education professor at the University of Southern California, the suicide of one of his students distressed him. He was inspired to teach a course titled “Love 101,” combining sociology and psychology. Six hundred students attended the first lecture, prompting Buscaglia to launch his career as a motivational writer and speaker. His first book, Love (1972,) examined the phenomenon of human love as the one unifying force in life.
Buscaglia authored over a dozen books and sold more than 11 million copies in 20 languages. His other notable books were Living, Loving and Learning (1982) and Loving Each Other (1984.) Once, five of his books appeared on the New York Times best-seller list simultaneously.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Leo Buscaglia
This loving person is a person who abhors waste—waste of time, waste of human potential. How much time we waste. As if we were going to live forever.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Time Management, Action, Learning
It is when we ask for love less and begin giving it more that the basis of human love is revealed to us.
—Leo Buscaglia
If we wish to free ourselves from enslavement, we must choose freedom and the responsibility this entails.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Freedom
There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness, and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that, I have complete control.
—Leo Buscaglia
Each of our acts makes a statement as to our purpose.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Purpose, One liners
We all need each other.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Aid, Assistance, Help
A wonderful realization will be the day you realize that you are unique in all the world. There is nothing that is an accident. You are a special combination for a purpose-and don’t let them tell you otherwise, even if they tell you that purpose is an illusion. (Live an illusion if you have to). You are that combination so that you can do what is essential for you to do. Don’t ever believe that you have nothing to contribute. The world is an incredible unfulfilled tapestry. And only you can fulfill that tiny space that is yours.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Identity
Relish love in our old age! Aged love is like aged wine; it becomes more satisfying, more refreshing, more valuable, more appreciated and more intoxicating!
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Love
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Love, Power, Goodness, Kindness, Life, Motivation
Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.
—Leo Buscaglia
We live in a small world. Not a leaf falls that doesn’t affect a myriad of things. When we reach out to someone in love and the effect is made—everyone, everything which comes in contact with the person we’ve effected is better for it. Of course, the converse is true, too.
—Leo Buscaglia
Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Ideals, Ideal, Expectation
Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Live-now
Like any other living, growing thing, love requires effort to keep it healthy.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Effort
Love always creates, it never destroys. In this lie’s man’s only promise.
—Leo Buscaglia
What you are is God’s gift to you, what you do with yourself is your gift to God.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Gifts
Our greatest joy and satisfaction comes from the act of giving.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Satisfaction
To be is to do, says the existentialist. “One only becomes real (human) at the point of action”.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Love, Act, Action
As soon as the love relationship does not lead me to me, as soon as I in a love relationship do not lead another person to himself, this love, even if it seems to be the most secure and ecstatic attachment I have ever experienced, is not true love. For real love is dedicated to continual becoming.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Love
We all fear what we don’t know—it’s natural.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Fear
The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It’s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Kindness
We are no longer puppets being manipulated by outside powerful forces: we become the powerful force ourselves.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Chance, Circumstance
One does not fall “in” or “out” of love. One grows in love.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Love
The hardest battle you’re ever going to fight is the battle to be just you.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Battle
A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself—to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart.
—Leo Buscaglia
I believe that you control your destiny, that you can be what you want to be. You can also stop and say, “No, I won’t do it, I won’t behave his way anymore. I’m lonely and I need people around me, maybe I have to change my methods of behaving and then you do it.”
—Leo Buscaglia
We need others. We need others to love and we need to be loved by them. There is no doubt that without it, we too, like the infant left alone, would cease to grow, cease to develop, choose madness and even death.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Doubt, Death, Love
DON’T MISS LOVE. It’s an incredible gift. I love to think that the day you’re born, you’re given the world as your birthday present. It frightens me to think that so few people even bother to open up the ribbon! Rip it open! Tear off the top! It’s just full of love and magic and joy and wonder and pain and tears. All of the things that are your gift for being human.
—Leo Buscaglia
I don’t believe in unconditional love. In fact, I think it’s unwise. My love has had a condition that if ever my love keeps you from you, from your growing, and realizing your personal potential, then I must step aside. No one has the right to stand in the way of another’s joy, development, or unique perceptions.
—Leo Buscaglia
The most painful thing to experience is not defeat but regret.
—Leo Buscaglia
Topics: Regret
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