“Love is not only something you feel, but it is something you do.”

-David Wilkerson

Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, instead of politics, chaos, or the latest absurdity in the world, I want to talk about something that actually keeps us human: love.

Love is one of those words we throw around so casually that we forget how heavy it really is. It’s not just a feeling. It’s not just butterflies, or chemistry, or the way someone’s name lights up your phone. Love is a living thing and something that grows, shifts, bruises, heals, and transforms us whether we’re ready or not.

Real love isn’t possession. It isn’t control. It isn’t “you complete me,” because you should already be whole. Love is choosing someone again and again, not because you need them to fill a void, but because life feels richer with them in it. And let’s be clear: domestic violence is not love. It’s a cruel form of control, and it has no place in any relationship.

Love is honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s saying, “I’m hurt,” “I’m scared,” “I need you,” or “I’m sorry.” It’s vulnerability without the guarantee of being understood. It’s trusting someone with the parts of you that you usually keep locked away. What love is not is weaponizing someone’s insecurities against them.

If you have to shrink yourself to be loved, that’s not love. If you’re walking on eggshells, that’s not love. If you’re constantly trying to earn affection, approval, or basic respect, that’s not love. Love is the exhale after holding your breath too long. It’s the feeling of being seen without performing.

Love isn’t effortless. It’s effort that doesn’t feel like a burden. It’s the small things like remembering how they take their coffee, sending a text to check in, listening even when you’re tired, showing up when it matters. Love is maintenance, not magic.

The right love doesn’t keep you stagnant. It doesn’t clip your wings. It doesn’t fear your evolution. Love says, “Grow. Become. Expand. I’ll grow with you.” And sometimes love also says, “We’ve grown in different directions, and that’s okay.”

Some of the deepest love comes from friendships, family, pets, or even the relationship you build with yourself. Romantic love gets all the attention, but it’s not the only kind that saves us. Sometimes the most healing love is the one that teaches you how to treat yourself better.

Love is imperfect, and that’s what makes it real. It’s messy. It’s flawed. It’s human. It’s two people trying their best with the tools they have. It’s learning, unlearning, apologizing, forgiving, and trying again. It’s imperfect that people choosing to care anyway.

Love shows you who you are. It reflects your wounds, your strengths, your fears, your capacity for joy. The right love doesn’t fix you, but it inspires you to fix yourself. It challenges you to become the version of you that you’ve always been capable of being.

Love is many things, but above all, it’s this: Love is the courage to stay open in a world that constantly tries to harden you.

Affirmation: I am worthy of a love that feels like peace, not survival.

***Don’t forget to watch the video!***

#Thispuzzledlife