Saying “I love you” should not be a casual occurrence. The verb “love” should not be used lightly. It is a word that denotes passion, loyalty, faithfulness, courage, and hope. It’s a position of your heart that you place upon someone else’s life that deserves attention and preservation. This kind of love should be placed on your own self, first and foremost, in every sense of the word. You should be passionate about yourself and love yourself in a way that is limitless. Loving yourself in this way better prepares you to accept love from others. Loving oneself first is a prerequisite to true romance and is necessary for a passionate romance to blossom into a healthy marriage.
There are different kinds of love: friendship and true love and romance.
Friendship:
Friendships are formed when we get involved with others, planning and doing things together, through the mutual discovery of shared interest. Through this discovery we work out different patterns in our life, finding what best suits us and creating paths we want to take. Sometimes the person we have let in fits our specific pattern, but they are not structured the same way. That love is best defined as a friendship. Sometimes friendships can be mixed up with thoughts of love and romance and eventually lead to marriage. These marriages often fail because it is a love that was not meant for us.
It is easy to confuse different types of love when you don’t love yourself. It is important to know who you are and to love yourself fully. This will guide you in understanding the kind of love you need in your life.
True Love and Romance:
Marriages and relationships that are born out of true love will possess distinct characteristics. Love is first of all selfless, marked by generous giving, sharing and caring. Love is the essence of who we are; we are made of love and made to love. It should flow freely from us. Love must be nurtured to eliminate any and all barriers standing in the way. One of the biggest barriers that exists is selfishness. Love is what love does and must be proven through actions, not just spoken in words. Those hoping to enter a successful romantic relationship must ask themselves, “Am I willing to give up ‘self’ for love?” This means making yourself fully available to another person, coping with any challenges that life may bring, working through disagreements, and disappointments, and choosing to stay committed to one another no matter what path life may take you down. It takes the right people to love unconditionally. When you’re in a relationship and romance is being created, passion is born and each person becomes keenly aware of the feelings that they feel toward one another. In order to take love and create romance, true love must first exist in your heart not just a passionate desire for one another but pure love. Amorous feelings often pave the way to great romances; you are enamored with your partner, intoxicated with their scent, and filled with admiration toward all of their idiosyncrasies. You love to be together and they give you feelings of true happiness and contentment.
“More importantly, true and great romance creates hope within another person and is marked by encouragement, empowerment, and support.”
Preserving Romance:
Your partner shows you their deep commitment and love through their counsel during times of difficulty and their respect of your time, efforts, dreams, goals, and beliefs. Ultimately, romance is two people growing in unity with one another sharing and creating new dreams and passions together and mirroring one another’s intrinsic values.
You will know that you have entered this kind of romance when you give up the need to explore other relationships. This type of romance will enliven who you are, awaken you, and connect you to one another. This love should be preserved and protected above all else. To keep this type of romance alive, you can’t lose yourself in it; you must stay present. Each partner must recognize their own imperfections and strive to create a lasting marriage and romance in spite of their failings.
Love is what love does. Engage in love and preserve it by nurturing it, giving, and sharing with one another creatively and caring deeply for one another.
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