What does LOVE mean to you?
What does LOVE mean to you?
A Valentines Gift
It's an age old question, one that many of us ponder.
What is love?
How do you know when you're in love?
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Do you love yourself?
The truth is, it means different things to different people.
Many of us have recognized and studied the 5 Love languages identified by Gary Chapman in his 1992 book The Five Love Languages:
"Chapman suggests that to discover another person's love language, one must observe the way they express love to others, and analyze what they complain about most often and what they request from their significant other most often. He theorizes that people tend to naturally give love in the way that they prefer to receive love, and better communication between couples can be accomplished when one can demonstrate caring to the other person in the love language the recipient understands."
The way that we give and receive love varies individually through:
Words of Affirmation
Acts of Service
Receiving Gifts
Quality Time
Physical Touch
I used to be acts of service, and in some cases, I still am.
I Love preparing meals, arranging travel, fixing things and making a cozy loving home. It was the way I communicated my love in the past, as it was my former partners primary love language.
But as I have grown - I have loved more openly.
1. I find giving compliments or words of encouragement and affirmation, make me feel good about myself and my partner. It's almost as if the law of attraction helps us in our relationships when we verbally emphasize the parts of our partners that make us happy or proud.
2. Receiving gifts is not an easy task for me, as an acts of service person, it is easier to give than receive. As I have been told exhaustively, receiving is an act of self love as well as an appreciation for our partners thoughtfulness. I have learned (still learning) to receive gifts more gracefully, accepting that the giver put time and energy into loving me this way , not matter what the gift is.
3. Quality time, is something new for me. In my past, I was never offered the luxury of just passing time together. It made me itchy to be in the moment, doing whatever, or nothing at all. I have lived with serious guilt for sleeping, lack of productivity, and pure relaxation. But I am a new follower and believer that quality time is the most valuable and appreciated form of love.
4. There is no better form of love than human touch. The softness of someones hands tenderly holding yours, a gentle kiss on the cheek, a big hug, with my nose nuzzled deeply in the crease of my mans neck, is heaven on earth. Of course I have always loved touch, but the touch that is given must be a clean energy with sweet unconditional connection.
What love really means to me:
“I want for you what you want for yourself”.
LOVE is open, kind, patient, and unconditional.
It's accepting, non-judgmental, warm, and cozy.
Practicing this LOVE is the single most important thing I do- everyday!
Happy Valentines Day to everyone
