ON MY WAYS
1. They think about you when you’re not around.
They see a billboard that reminds them of you and they text you. They remember you said you needed dish soap and they bring you some because they were running errands. They think about places you guys could go to dinner tonight and then invite you.
2. They’ll take care of you when you’re sick.
And tell you you’re beautiful even when you look mucus-y and nasty.3. They listen to you. Really listen.
And respond with thoughtful, relevant insights.4. They get into your interests and want to share their own with you.
They hate comic books but they’ll come with you to Forbidden Planet. They don’t get sports, but they root for the Giants with you. They’re psyched to show you their stamp collection or take you to an antique show.5. They plan for the future.
Whether it’s a trip or a concert — placing you in their future means they see a future with you.6. Your thoughts and opinions are treated with respect.
They never push their views on you or laugh at/dismiss yours, even if they’re wildly different. They should love you for your unique brain.
7. They are eager to help you, and gracious about accepting your help.
If they love you, they want to make your life easier. And if they love you, they should be able to accept help from someone who loves them back.8. They put your needs above their own.
Not in an unhealthy way, but in a selfless way. (Hopefully, you’re both doing this and it even outs.)9. You know you can trust them.
You feel safe, heard and secure. Similarly…10. You never want to break the truth you’ve earned from them.
If someone loves you, they’ve been vulnerable with you. Don’t abuse that.11. They support you.
They come to your art show. They encourage you to practice with your band. They don’t get jealous or upset when you have to work late. They genuinely want you to succeed.
12. You share a sense of humor.
They think you’re funny. You think they’re funny. That’s true love.
13. They give you freedom to grow.
You don’t feel stifled, stuck or in a rut.
14. You are loyal to each other.
You feel like they are on your team. You’re a partnership. You’re a twosome. You’re in this together.15. They don’t put you down.
Negging might be part of The Game handbook, but it’s no good in a relationship. They shouldn’t be putting you down. They should be building you up. If they’re doing anything else, they’re insecure and can’t truly love you.16. They don’t hide anything from you.
Trust, communication and honesty become more important than anything else. It’s humbling and scary, but if you’re truly loved, it’ll come naturally.17. You are comfortable being silent or away from each other.
Someone who needs to keep talking or needs to cling to you in social situations might seem like they love you, but they actually just need you. It’s not the same, and it’s not as good. If they love you, you will both be secure in comfortable silence, and have the ability to be apart — but still catch each other’s eyes across the room and just…know.18. They don’t let you get away with bad habits.
They want you to be your best you and they won’t take you being depressive or hating on yourself. They want you to love yourself, as much as they love you.19. They tell you that they love you…
…and in your gut, you truly believe them.
Can love be measured
yes, because Love for you is measured by by how YOU define love. As a human being who believes their self to be separate from others, how you see love is how you will interpret whether or not it exists in others. How you define love is what you will seek from others. Your percpetion of love is what you will give to others calling it "loving", whether that is truth of love or not.
Eventually, as we begin to awaken to our immense potential, love transitions from something experienced by seemingly separate beings, to an actual state of being. It is a state of heart and mind unified, creating a clear channel for love's flow. You then realize you cannot truly "give" love to others, but only energetically catalyze love already existent in others. People think others give whatever love they feel TO them. You can only feel your OWN love. But your own love and their own love is one and the same. We don't give each other love, we jump its battery within each other. The truest measure of love is within these words: "We abide in ONE love, and that love is limitless." We are in love Consciousness, and have all access to endless love. That access is retrieved via focus within, its a 'backstage pass' if you will, and not accumulated through one or many separate beings in staged experiences throughout life.
When you realize no one CAN give to you what you already have, nor take your own love from you, then you are as the ocean, never weeping for any movement of its waves. It is the beliefs of an unawakened humanity that distorts the experience of love. There is no pain in love. Pain lies in illusion alone.