It’s easy to scroll through your social media feed feeling envious of the people around you who are comfortable with public displays of affection. While it’s human nature to dwell onto negative feelings longer than the positives, we shouldn’t make it a habit.
There are plenty of articles that can teach you how to recognise unhealthy relationships or how to sustain a healthy one, but how is that achievable if your mindset about love is distorted?
1. You have to know how to give love a chance.
Do you realise that most couples who are happily in love never expected it to happen? That’s because falling in love is a process. We all have preferences when it comes to a life partner, but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t open our hearts to people who aren’t our ‘type’. There’s a major difference between having standards and being a total a**hole. The mentality that someone is not your type not only limits your opportunities, it also defeats the whole purpose of “falling” in love.
2. When you love, you shouldn’t expect anything back
There’s a reason why some of the most profound philosophies about love involve a lot of giving and less taking. It’s an emotion and expression that should be purely genuine. While you should know when to exit unrequited love, you must also understand that when you choose to care for someone (in a relationship or not), it speaks volume of your character and how healthy your mindset is when you can do a good deed, be compassionate and loving without a reward.
3. People love in different ways
Ahhh, modern day romance – where people tend to build unnecessary comparisons based on what their partners do for them on social media. We forget that love is something only two people in the relationship should share, if your idea of a great love is endless dedications online then you’re never going to be happy because those things really don’t last. If you feel like you want to restart this chapter of your relationship, do something that involves only the two of you. Private time really helps promote intimacy for a more fruitful relationship.
4. Personal growth is a huge aspect of love
It’s cliché, but love is nothing if it doesn’t make you grow into a better person. In a relationship or not, personal development carves a strong sense of individuality, a characteristic that is undeniably attractive to anyone. Don’t be complacent if you’re taken, you need to have personal space and time to progress while also moving forward with your partner. Try out new things, explore, get a hobby, and be adventurous! Life doesn’t stop at finding a life partner, getting married, and having kids… love should take you to places within and outside of yourself.