When you think of love, do you think of someone special in your life? Do you ever wonder if the person you are with is your soulmate, or someone you’ve reconnected with from a past lifetime?
Perhaps when you think of love you think of a family member, a friend, a child, or a favorite pet? Maybe it’s not love for people or pets at all. Instead, love may be poured into a job, hobbies, a home, or other interests.
Merriam-Webster offers multiple definitions for love including a “feeling of strong or constant affection … an attraction based on sexual desire … a beloved person … a warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion.”
Caroline Mosteller writes about 100 things she loves in life including sunsets, random acts of kindness and bear hugs. Developing a list of what you love is a great way to feel happiness in the present moment. What would your list say?
Are You My Other Half?
You may be one of the lucky ones who has found someone who feels like your other half.
“When we find our other half, we are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy that cannot be accounted for by mere lust, but by the need to be whole again, to be restored to our original nature.” Neel Burton, M.D., The Origins of Love
How do you know if the person you are with is your soulmate, a past life partner or just someone you are lucky enough to have found this time around?
Once I was in a relationship and realized I had been with the person two centuries ago. I abandoned the relationship last time. I was left this time.
When I visited Paris in 2010, I saw in my mind’s eye that a great love from the 1800s had been stabbed and dumped into the river Seine. I said goodbye to his spirit, which opened my heart for the man I am married to now.
Am I Looking at My Soulmate?
So how do you know if you are with your soulmate versus a past life partner? Elite Daily interviewed couples who believed they were with their soulmate.
- They couldn’t stop smiling
- It just made sense
- It was love at first sight
- They handled their first fight well
- The sacrifices felt worth it
- They were friends first
- They didn’t get annoyed with their partner
- They received the support they needed
- The substance was there
- They realized their partner was selfless
Could I Be Experiencing Déjà vu?
What if you meet someone that was a past life partner that you are supposed to connect with again? How do you know? PowerofPositivity.com suggests the following:
- They feel like home to you
- Your emotions run wild when you meet them
- You have past life memories together
- You share everything with them
- You lose track of time with them
- You feel connected even in different places
- You have an instant connection
- You can communicate telepathically
- You have a deep spiritual connection
- You have never had a connection this powerful before
- They make you feel more like yourself
Determining if this person is the one you want to spend your life with may be as simple as getting into your feelings. Author Bruce Y. Lee suggests asking yourself how do you feel in your body and mind when you are around that person? Ask yourself: Do you feel more relaxed? Do you feel supported? Do you feel optimistic when you are with him/her?
Defining the Love That is Right for You
Everyone defines love differently – whether it’s someone who supports you in everything you do, enables you to grow as a human being, provides you with a refuge from pain, or allows you to be who you are. Rosemary Donahue interviewed 31 people from all walks of life for their definitions of love. The answers are surprising and thought provoking.
The Five Love Languages
Tchiki Davis, Ph.D., says the concept of love languages “shows couples how to give each other love in ways that it is best received.” Adding that, learning to give love to your partner in the way your partner wants to receive it, and asking the partner to give love in the way you want to receive it, creates stronger relationships.
Love languages can be different for relationships versus how you interact with others. For example, you may show your love with family members or with friends through acts of service, versus with your partner where you may prefer physical touch or a combination of love languages. Determining your love language can strengthen your relationship with yourself and others because you will be able to meet your needs more effectively.
- Words of Affirmation
- Acts of Service
- Receiving Gifts
- Quality Time
- Physical Touch
What love language resonates most with you? What is the love language you use to express love and caring for others?
Looking for Love? Love Yourself First so Love Can Find You
Learning to love yourself is one of the first steps you can take to improve your life, your love life, and your overall happiness. By creating a list of your best attributes, you will come to realize just how special and unique you are while giving you a go-to source when you need to feel better.
Transformation begins when you make the shift from self-blame to loving yourself unconditionally. Start by being kind and non-judgmental (eliminating negative self-talk) while allowing for mistakes (we are human after all!). According to Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., author of 8 Powerful Steps to Self-Love, self-compassion gives you less anxiety and more optimism, helps you recover from stress, and encourages you to become more interested in your overall health and vitality.
So how do you begin? Abundance No Limits offers a list of 100 positive self attributes you can use, or you can download a worksheet the article provides and create your own list.
Sometimes love comes when we least expect it. Love yourself. Express gratitude. Expect the best (and not the worst) and have an open heart. Happy Valentine’s Day!