True love. Although it is commonly defined as the ability to love unconditionally, we all have different ways of interpreting relationships. Who doesn’t want their relationship to last as long as it can? Who doesn’t want it to lead to true love?. Have you ever noticed the little signs that your love is genuine and everlasting?
So let’s take a look at 9 signs of true love – some obvious, some subtle – you may recognize in your daily interactions with your beloved.
1. You are both willing to compromise
Compromise is key for a healthy relationship. It means you’ve let go of your ego, recognizing that your partner is a different person with an entirely different perspective. No matter how many interests you and your significant other share, no two people are the same. The most important thing about being in a relationship is learning to walk in someone else’s shoes. If you can overcome your ego, you will be better able to see matters from the other’s viewpoint. Hearing your loved one out will make you more understanding and patient; together, you’ll solve problems you had been stuck on in the past. You’ll be amazed by how much you don’t know about the other person.
2. You are not interested in anyone else
Be careful not to confuse lust and love. When you lust after someone during the initial courting period, you may spend every second thinking about them. Everything they do is magical and extraordinary. When you can’t get them off your mind, there’s no headspace available for anything else.
True love is different from lust – you have seen each other’s flaws, which may even become pet peeves for you. You still forgive and understand, however, that these imperfections are what made you fall in love with them in the first place; you accept them for who they truly are. Others may be prettier, richer, smarter, or cooler, but you don’t care. You’re secure because your lover adores your flaws, just as you accept theirs. You’ll meet amazing people outside of your relationship, and you’ll cherish them, but deep inside, you know the grass isn’t greener on the other side. Your lover is the best thing that has ever happened to you, and no one can replace them. When you spend time with the one you love, they are the object of all your attention and feelings.
3. You are supportive of each other
There should never be a sacrifice on only one side of the relationship. True love represents spiritual and personal growth for both people. You benefit from them, and they do from you. Watch out for red flags, however, like when they ask too much of you (i.e, asking you to continually move for them, to loan them money without paying you back, to do all the housework yourself, while they’re out doing who knows what).
If they truly love you, they’ll want to witness your best self blooming, doing everything in their capacity to help you reach your potential, forgive your mistakes, and encourage you to follow your dreams while they follow close behind, supporting you.
4. Finding little ways to have fun
Have you ever sat next to a girl without saying anything at all, feeling serenity wash over your body? Or just chilled on the couch, playing video games with your boyfriend on a Friday night and still having a blast? It’s an incredible experience to match someone’s energy, to sense what they’re thinking, and to know they feel the same about you. When you understand and love each other that much, you don’t need to go on fancy trips or crowded places to have fun. All you need is you, your soulmate, and endless conversation that flows seamlessly through the night.
5. The innocence in their eyes when they are with you
True love and calculation don’t really go together. When you love someone with all your heart, you think of them in the best terms. More often than not, you even put them above yourself. When you’re in love, suddenly, you’ve returned to the golden age of childhood; you love them with that pure childlike affection, without ever expecting anything in turn. You are less judgmental, more in the moment.
6. Less neediness and more freedom in your relationship
People experiencing true love feel a strong sense of security in themselves and their partner. If you have your loved one’s unwavering support and pure love, you’ll wake up every morning feeling revitalized. You go about your day more energized and productive, as well as happier. Rays of sunshine will be radiating from you – figuratively, of course. Such pure happiness and security results in confidence. You won’t need their approval, and you won’t live under your partner’s watchful eyes, because you know, at the end of the day, they trust you, always there for you when you come back home.
7. True love rises beyond the physical realm
Sex is fun and releases oxytocin, making both partners happy. When someone’s only after sex, they usually make it quite obvious. Someone who truly cares about you, however, won’t give you hints and make sexual references every time you hang out. They won’t be disappointed when you’re not in the mood – they will be excited to spend time with you, even if it just means fun conversation, wining and dining, or watch a movie. They care about you as a person and ask you questions about your day and your goals. They introduce you to their family and friends and always are up to something to ask you out and have fun with them.
8. Willingness to communicate openly
Manipulation does not exist with true love. There is open, honest communication and mutual respect between the two of you. No twisted words or changed minds. Your partner is willing to be vulnerable, revealing their deepest secrets to you. They don’t judge you for what you consider your deepest embarrassments.
9. Sharing a deep trust and bond
Falling head over heels for someone is like trusting them to open your parachute when you’re skydiving. To put it simply: trust is sacred in a relationship, so broken trust leads to broken love. True, everlasting love knows no bounds, sharing the deepest secrets of your two universes. It represents two people uniting into one, the keys to each other’s secret vault in their palms. You know your partner trusts you when they can look into your eyes, willing to be vulnerable with you. They tell you things they don’t tell anyone, even embarrassing or painful events of their past, things that could potentially hurt them. Cherish that, and never let it go.
True love is indeed rare in today’s fast-paced society. Everyone falls in love quickly, thinking it’s true love (even though it turns out to just be lust, a fleeting and impulsive dopamine rush). True love can’t blossom in a short time, as it needs time to be nourished and understood. If you just realized your relationship has all 9 signs of true love, congratulations! You and your partner are blessed. When you find your true love, the world seems like a better place.
