All-consuming force
Before you read this, make sure “Have You Ever Been in Love” by Celine Dion is playing in the background.
So, I took some time to reflect on my relationship choices(including friendships) over the years. I thought about what my affection towards each person felt like, how it started, and what drew me to them.
One thing stayed the same, I didn’t like anyone without deciding to like them. Realizing this made me understand that we often give people the power to hold certain positions in our lives. No one would mean so much if we hadn’t vested them with that title, that important position where their actions matter and even affect how we feel.
As I reflected on my past relationships, I recognized a pattern of intentionally choosing to invest in people, whether they were worthy of my time, emotions, and energy or not. Instead of being fully aware and open to signs, I usually plunged headfirst into the all-consuming force called love.
Why am I sharing this, you might ask? I was just wondering; what if we approached love not as a passive, all-consuming force, but as an active choice? What if we recognized that we have the power to decide who gets to hold sway over our emotions and that we can love while being fully aware, rather than simply getting swept up in the tide of feelings?
This realization has been liberating. I’ve come to understand that our emotions and well-being don’t have to be at the mercy of someone else’s actions. By choosing to invest in each person, we also have the power to re-evaluate and reassess those investments. It’s okay to pull back, re-establish boundaries, or recognize when someone no longer aligns with set values or goals. It is more than okay, it’s essential to maintaining one’s emotional integrity.
In a world where we’re often encouraged to follow our hearts blindly, it’s empowering to remember that we can also engage our minds. We can choose our partners with the same intentionality we apply to other areas of our lives. This doesn’t make love any less magical; if anything, it makes it more profound and meaningful.
So, as you make your own relationship choices, consider this perspective; Love can be a conscious decision, a deliberate act of choosing someone who enriches your life and aligns with your values. It’s about finding a balance between heart and mind, passion and reason.
What are your thoughts on this? How do you approach love and relationships? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Thank you!