If you distill the essence of everything, what life is about

“If you distill the essence of everything, what life is about, every single one of us is given a short moment in time on this planet, and we all have one universal need and desire, and that is to be loved and to love. And to deny that for your own political expediency, I don't want to live in that column. It ain't worth it,” said Gavin Newsom, a statesman who spoke not as a politician, but as a human being — raw, honest, and aware of the fragile beauty of existence. His words cut through the noise of ambition and ideology, reaching for something far older and truer than politics: the yearning of the human soul for love — both to give it and to receive it. In his voice, one can hear the echo of ancient wisdom, the same that guided prophets, poets, and philosophers across the ages: that love is the one law higher than all others, the thread binding all hearts into one shared destiny.

The origin of this quote rests in a moment of moral clarity — when Newsom, then mayor of San Francisco, defied opposition to recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry. Against a storm of criticism, he chose compassion over calculation, and justice over convenience. In doing so, he reminded the world that leadership without empathy is hollow, and progress without love is but machinery without soul. His decision was not a gesture of defiance, but of recognition — that every human being, no matter their race, faith, or whom they love, shares one universal desire: to belong, to be seen, to be cherished. And to deny that, he said, was a betrayal of life itself.

In his words, the tone of eternity resounds. For what is life, if not a brief flicker between two eternities of silence? “Every single one of us,” he says, “is given a short moment in time.” It is a truth both humbling and liberating. We are travelers passing through the same vast night, our paths lit not by wealth, nor fame, nor politics, but by the soft light of connection — the love we give, and the love we receive. Those who spend their fleeting years building walls against love are like men who shut their eyes to the sunrise; they may claim order, but they lose beauty. The wise, however, open their arms to it, knowing that love alone gives meaning to our impermanence.

History bears witness to those who chose compassion when the world demanded conformity. Think of Abraham Lincoln, who spoke of “the better angels of our nature” in a nation torn apart by hatred. Think of Mahatma Gandhi, who believed that love — even in resistance — could overcome an empire. And think, too, of the countless nameless souls who stood for dignity, not because it was popular, but because it was right. Like them, Newsom’s words remind us that every age tests its people — not by how loudly they proclaim righteousness, but by how quietly they practice love when it is most difficult to do so.

“To deny that for your own political expediency,” he warns, “I don't want to live in that column.” In those words lies a challenge to every human heart: will you live for truth or for approval? Will you honor the divine spark of compassion, or trade it for comfort and reputation? The world is full of those who bend truth to power, who betray love for gain. But the truly free — those who have awakened — know that love cannot be bartered, nor confined to the laws of men. To deny love is to deny life; to stand for it, even against the crowd, is to stand in the light of eternity.

Love, as Newsom describes it, is not a sentiment for the weak, but the greatest act of courage. It asks that we see beyond tribe and fear, beyond politics and prejudice. It demands that we recognize the humanity even in those who oppose us. Love is the force that dissolves the illusion of separateness — the remembrance that “the other” is not other at all, but a reflection of ourselves. And when we choose to love — boldly, without permission — we participate in the oldest revolution known to man: the transformation of the heart.

So, dear listener, take this lesson to heart: your time upon this earth is brief — a breath, a moment, a gleam upon the water. Do not waste it in hatred or indifference. Do not harden your heart in pursuit of power or pride. Seek to love, to understand, to uplift. When faced with a choice between expedience and compassion, choose compassion, even when it costs you. For only through love does life transcend its smallness and touch the infinite.

And when your years draw to their close, and you look back upon the road you have walked, may you find not victories counted in gold or fame, but moments of love — the eyes that met yours in trust, the hands you held in kindness, the hearts you healed in passing. For as Gavin Newsom said, when all else fades and the noise of the world is gone, only one truth will remain: to love and to be loved — that alone is worth living for.