Unconditional…

Since love and relationships are one of the biggest (if not the biggest) parts of our lives, and it is Valentine’s week – my third consecutive post is about this beautiful, unpredictable, sometimes crazy, unexplainable and at times painful feeling we call love. As much as we are all individual and different, the way we experience love can, too, be quite unique.

What does love mean to you? What makes you feel loved and how do you show love to your partner?

In order to grow and enhance your relationship, it is important to be honest with yourself in answering these questions. Communicate it with your loved one, ask them to do the same so you both can understand each other’s needs.

For some people to feel loved it is important to hear it verbally, for others it is through touch and affection, or perhaps for you it is gestures and gifts. It goes without saying each one is important, however one would be more meaningful to an individual than the other, therefore it is necessary to understand which one it is.

Receiving can feel great, but let’s focus on what happens when you give unconditionally.

Have you ever noticed that when you give, whether it is affection, attention, love or care, you feel it more too? There are, however, many relationships where couples take each other for granted and simply expect too much, appearing to focus on what they are getting rather than what they are giving. When this happens relationships become stagnated and it may be hard for any growth to take place, especially loving unconditionally.

It is particularly (in my opinion) relevant to younger couples. With age, we hope we have learnt from our past mistakes and experiences and are more focused on giving which, in turn, allows us to receive more unconditionally. Having said that, if you are in a more mature or married relationship, don’t forget your partner is still the same person you fell in love with years (or decades) ago, and the needs will still be there to fulfil and nurture.

Unconditional love is the ultimate level of love we all strive for (consciously or subconsciously) in relationships. If you feel you are already there, don’t forget to still work on yourself (your mind, your body) and don’t think “they love me anyway”. Not limiting your relationship to how it is now leaves room for infinite growth in the future.

Wishing you a very happy Valentine’s and all the unconditional love we deserve!