"He who truly loves loves quietly; with actions, never with words." – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Love is a complicated emotion, so it's no wonder that not everyone fully understands what it really means. Before you let all those butterflies in your stomach cloud your judgement, make sure what you're feeling is really love and not something else.
1. Love teaches you to compromise
Love is actually a game of give and take. In a relationship, things need to be open. When you decide to be with someone, you have to be willing to sacrifice some things and make compromises to make the other person happy. Of course, you both have to do it.
2. Love is not changing your life for another
Make compromises with your partner, but make sure the price is not too high. If your partner expects you to completely change your life to suit his every whim, don't. No one should tell you how to live your life. The decision is up to you. From no one else.
3. Love is when you have someone to share your thoughts with
It is one of the greatest advantages of love to have someone with whom you can share all your thoughts and fears. Whether you're just starting out or in a long-term relationship, being able to tell your partner every little thing that happens in your day is priceless.
4. Love is not controlling your partner
Just because you love someone doesn't mean you can control them. If you have a habit of nagging or controlling your partner, stop before he leaves you.
5. Love is a support through difficult times
We all go through hard times sometimes. You might fall out with a partner, a friend, or lose your job. It happens. We're all just human. When you are in love, however, you need to support your partner through these difficult times and events that happen to them.
If you turn your back on him at the first sign of trouble, you will have to rethink and learn what the word love means.
6. Love is not about sustaining someone through life
Of course, you should help your partner when times are tough, but you can't support them throughout your life. It's the difference between supporting him when he loses his job or supporting him throughout the relationship. If a man loves you, he will never expect you to support him financially - and you shouldn't expect him to either!
7. Love is when you trust your partner 100%
If you find a man you just get along with, it means you can be who you are all the time. You don't have to pretend to be something you're not. They are always real with each other. Outspoken. Loyal to themselves and each other. Constantly.
8. Love is not self-evident
One of the biggest mistakes people make in relationships is taking their partner for granted. If you find a man you truly love (and who loves you back), you should appreciate it. True love is rare and if you are not grateful for what you have, you don't deserve it. If you start taking your man for granted, you shouldn't be surprised if he leaves.
9. Love is something that comes naturally
If you have to squeeze every last emotion out of yourself to get someone to love you, that's not love. Love comes naturally. It's not something you can force or do and it will happen. It just happens. Sometimes you think you're in love when all you really want is affection.
10. Love is not a trophy or a prize
Being in a real, honest relationship with someone is not something you should be praised or rewarded for. It's that simple. If you think otherwise, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. Your partner is not a trophy. This is not love.
