By Kameron Brooke | Reporter
Love is arguably the most infinite presence in this world. It is all around us, every day, in every moment. It can meet us anywhere. There is no force stronger. Love will always find you, but love is not just a feeling. It’s an action. It’s a choice.
Specifically in romantic connections, especially long-term ones, love is an ongoing choice. You get to decide every day how you develop love in your relationship. Love can be experienced in a number of ways, but your actions determine if the love lives or dies.
When two people decide to cultivate a relationship, they are opening themselves to each other’s flaws and weaknesses. When they choose to work on these things, they are choosing love.
One may bring up hormones, which are typically responsible for the physical attraction you feel toward another person.
PsychCentral said, “While hormones can sweep you up in the early days of love, that lasting love requires conscious decision-making.” According to PsychCentral, as the relationship evolves, hormones will no longer drive your feelings, so you must be the driver of your feelings and actively choose to love your partner.
Your actions completely determine the strength of love in a relationship. This is because love is a verb and is not something that can solely be said.
I think the use and concept of love are a bit unstructured. Many people are in awe of long-lasting relationships they see in which two people have been together for years and still maintain a passionate and healthy connection. These relationships are so long-lasting because they love in action alongside words.
“The best way that you can show someone love is to find out directly from them what makes them feel loved,” a BetterHelp article reads.
No singular person receives love the same way, and when two people establish a connection, it’s important to be mindful of what makes the other person feel good and respect that it won’t be the same as what makes you feel good. When it comes to showing love, it’s important to prioritize what someone else wants to do over what you want to do while also making sure you’re still making time for your interests.
The act of love comes with acknowledging and accepting your partner’s actions as well. Oftentimes, couples can hurt each other by overlooking simple portrayals of love, which can be a prevalent issue if you don’t know how your partner receives love.
“As we develop the ability to accept love with dignity and return love with appreciation, we find ourselves actively involved in being in love rather than losing each other by falling into a passive state of fantasizing about being in love,” a PsychAlive article reads.
To truly understand love is more than a feeling. You must understand what goes into making it an action. It is learning about your partner, being grateful and accepting the reality of life. You have to continue choosing to love every single day.
Love is painful, disappointing, beautiful and fulfilling, but most importantly, it is work.
