Continuing with this month’s theme of “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”, today I’m talking about what love has to do with our personal lives.
Love has a lot to do with our personal lives! It’s an overwhelming and all-consuming emotion that we tend to make a huge priority. We’ve created the idea that there should be love in all that we do. There’s an expectation that love should conquer all. But, what if that’s not the case?
In this blog, I’m exploring the realities of love in our personal lives and why being honest with yourself about love is important.
When Love in Your Personal Life is Blind
Don’t get me wrong; love is incredible. But it can get in the way of us seeing things for what they are. The saying that “love is blind” couldn’t be more accurate, based on my experience.
I spent 26 years blinding myself to all the red flags signaling that I needed to get out of my marriage. I loved that person, but I made excuses for their destructive behaviors because I wouldn’t let myself see the truth: I deserved better.
When you love someone, and they’re not the right person for you, they can drag you down with them on a path that isn’t positive for your life. If they’re drowning in their issues and challenges, and you’re blinded by love, they might drown you with them.
I learned that, while love is this huge and overpowering emotion, you can’t let it blind you to what’s best for you. You have to love yourself enough to know that your happiness is important — your well-being matters. You deserve to live your best life.
When Love is Wonderful
Look, nothing’s perfect in this world… except maybe Chris Hemsworth. Sometimes, we have to take the good with the bad. But I want you to remember this: When it comes to love in a personal relationship, the good should far outweigh the bad.
You shouldn’t have to weigh a list of great qualities against a list of negative traits when you’re evaluating someone in your life. You should just know. It should be easy. Both people in a relationship should feel important and valued.
Love that’s good for you, the kind that lets you create the life you want, is easy. That love can be one of the most amazing things to happen in your life, and it’s out there, I’m telling you. I’m blessed to feel that now, and it’s exciting and wonderful. But settling for a relationship that isn’t good for you will never give you what you need. So, when it comes to finding love, be smart.
When Love Isn’t Enough
If you’re in a relationship and wondering if you should stay in it, odds are, you shouldn’t. That nagging feeling that something isn’t right is your heart telling you that you’re not getting what you deserve. Something inside of you is telling you to think hard about the path you want for yourself.
If you’re in a relationship that doesn’t feel right to you, talk to me about it. Or, speak to a friend, talk to a therapist. Get help navigating it because you don’t want to spend the rest of your life that way. I can tell you. I gave up years of my life living in doubt.
Any change comes with fear. I know that as well as anyone. But stepping into that fear will guide you to a new life that’s even better for you.
Do Things You Love
Loving Your Work
You’ll be hearing from me next week about love in your professional life, but I can’t not talk about your work in this post. Because the reality is, work is personal. Your career or whatever professional path you choose needs to be something you love doing because you devote so much of your life to doing it!
Remember that, yes, we all need to earn an income, but you also need to do something you love to do. If you don’t have passion and love for your work, you’re just going to burn yourself out. You’ll bring your work home with you and risk letting it affect your relationships at home.
Hobbies You Love
Hobbies that you love are so important when it comes to creating a full and happy life. As for me, I love to hike! It’s one of my favorite things to do. I love nature, the pace of hiking, the experience of getting outside and observing, and the fact you can do it in so many places.
Know When It’s (Not) Love
When you’re looking at the love in your personal life, I want you to really think about love vs. appreciation.
You guys know I love my dogs. They’re a huge part of my life! And, I love my family even more. I love my business. I love where I live. I say I “love” things like where I live because I’m passionate about how much I enjoy it. But maybe “love” isn’t the right term of what my home is in my life. Perhaps it’s more about how much I appreciate that it makes me happy.
You probably have things in your life that fit that description, too. Things that are so great and that satisfy you in some way. We should take a step back to consider what love has to do with it. We need to concentrate hard on creating positive spaces in our lives for us to be happy.
Find Your Love
Love is one of the most extraordinary things in the world, but it’s not perfect. I’m here to empower, strengthen, and motivate you to find and create love in your life – but don’t be blind. Find love in your family and your inner circle. Look for love in your passions and hobbies. Discover the things that ignite your passion.
Follow your hearts, keep your eyes open, and live your best life. You deserve it.