As cliche as it may sound, love is the answer

My view on love has been changing a lot over the past couple of months and it's been teaching me a lot about myself. I've been aware that the outside world is a reflection of our internal world, especially in our connections with others, but at times it was hard to see how the people I connected with mirrored a part of me back to myself, especially when it came to negative / toxic traits. That was just me being in denial. And I had to take a step back and keep it real with myself, and really reflect on my own toxicity. When you make the connection between the other person's toxicity and your own, it's hard to judge anyone anymore, because you're aware that the universe is just showing you something about yourself that needs attention and healing, and most importantly, love.

I think one of the biggest issues when it comes to love, is that people romanticise it. The way love is portrayed on the media is just unrealistic and fake. Real true love, comes with a lot of forgiveness, understanding and freedom. And it all comes from within.I think freedom is one of the most important things when it comes to healthy connections. And what I mean with that is allowing your person to explore themselves, any part of themselves without making them feel bad about wanting to do so, and knowing that at the end of the day they chose you for a reason. I think it’s perfectly normal and healthy to have experiences outside of your relationships, as long as there’s healthy communication and boundaries. I used to put other's people needs before my own, because that was something I needed, and couldn't provide for myself at the time. It wasn't genuine. The reason I say it wasn't genuine is not because I didn't have good intentions, or didn't genuinely care about the person, but because I wasn't able to love and prioritise myself, and you can't pour from an empty cup. I had to learn to love myself more than I loved others, and that made the biggest difference in my connections. I can see now how I'm able to be more authentic and genuine, and really be there for my people, while keeping my boundaries and making sure I'm stable enough to do so. I know it's really cliche to say that love is the answer, but at the end of the day we all want to feel loved, safe, and understood, regardless if that comes from family, a friend, or a partner. We need connection, and we need love, and it's okay to accept that and to want that for yourself. If we didn't need it, there wouldn't be anyone else on this planet. Another thing I was blessed enough to learn over the past couple of months is unconditional love. Loving myself, and others with the good and the bad. The good is easy to love, but when someone shows you their darkness, that's when you have a choice. You can choose to walk away, or you can choose to love them anyway. You can choose to love their darkness, because it's a part of them. And you do that by making a safe space for them to be in that darkness while showing them compassion and love, and letting them know that those part of themselves that aren't so pretty won't drive you away. The darkness is what needs the most love, but you have to start with loving your own darkness. If someone rejects yours, don't take it too personal, most people aren't ready to accept those aspects of themselves.

So I guess the point I was trying to make was to live from your heart centre, and not give up on your people when they're hard to love. Soul connections are real and when you meet someone that feels like home, no matter who that person is, just love them, because life is short and unpredictable, but don't forget to first make a home within yourself, that's the foundation you need.