How to Handle Falling in Love
“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.”
Love is a beautiful thing and comes in endless shapes and forms. Platonic, romantic, familial, or self-love all play huge roles in our lives whether we notice them or not. Though it can feel terrifying at first; loving someone and being loved in return expands your world and emboldens your convictions!
You Can’t Control Who You Love
It is true that you can’t control who you love. You can’t control falling head over heels for someone who may not like you back (been there, done that). You can’t control being right for someone even if the love is there. However, you can control the treatment that you allow and expect within any form of loving relationship. You are worthy, not only of companionship, but of intimate, respectful, caring relationships that propel you towards your dreams.
Take The Leap
There are few feelings more simultaneously thrilling and terrifying as falling in love. It can feel like your whole world has shifted and priorities no longer hold the same significance. This is the point where love takes a backseat, and your choices become most important. Do you want a long-term monogamous relationship or do you want something more casual? Do you feel safe with the person you love? Do you feel cherished? None of these things are requirements, especially since falling in love can feel all-encompassing while it happens, but trusting yourself to make these types of decisions helps point that blanket falling feeling into the direction of your goals. And, maybe, you’ll discover that love can move mountains.
Holding on to Yourself
One of the hardest things about falling in love is that sometimes you can get too wrapped up in it. Love, especially the western ideal of romantic “true love”, is dizzying and can leave you in a daze. In this space, it's easy to want to give everything to your new partner. Their dreams are suddenly your dreams and their heartache is your heartache. However, holding on to your own goals, thoughts, and feelings not only allows for deeper and more honest connections, but also self-assuredness that you are giving your love to people who better you as well. The people who are meant to be in your life will find you!
