When many people think of true love, they think of some movie romance. They are swept off their feet by the partner of their dreams, they fall in love, and live happily ever after. The two of them never face any problems, and everything is perfect from that moment forward. 

The truth is that love does not happen in a moment. It takes time for love to form. Love, at first sight, does not happen at all. Love, at first sight, is nothing more than infatuation or lust. So, what is true love?

Ironically, that is a question that cannot be answered. True love is something that cannot be defined. It is a type of affection and love that you have for another person that is not bound by any definition. 

True love can take time to grow. What a person experiences in the first year or two of their relationship are nothing more than infatuation or sexual attraction. As this begins to fade, and the first few arguments begin to emerge, is when love begins to grow. This is when most relationships end. 

For most people, their first love is going to be their purest form of true love because they are not afraid to experience heartbreak. Once that first romance ends, people are generally split into two different groups. There are those that still believe in true love and those who do not believe love exists. 

Love is not something that can be forced. Love is something that has to happen naturally. You cannot fake your way through true love. Even if you want to love someone wholeheartedly and they don’t feel the same way, there is nothing that can change that. 

Signs of True Love

While it may be hard to define true love, it is easy to identify the signs. If you are in a relationship, it is especially important for you to be able to identify the signs of true love. This will ensure you know whether or not you are in the right relationship for you.

  • You can’t imagine hurting them. When you love someone, you do not want to cause them any type of pain, physically or emotionally. Even the thought of causing them pain upsets you. You would do anything within your power to ensure that you did not hurt them. If you are in a relationship with someone and they are purposely hurting you, they do not truly love you. 
  • Promises are kept. A person who is truly in love will keep their word. It will be important to them that they do not make a promise to you and break it. Your conscience will become very strong when it comes to this one person. It will also be important to them that they do not disappoint you. 
  • Effort is put into the relationship. When two people love each other, they are going to be willing to put work into the relationship. No matter how perfect the relationship is going, an effort is always needed. Every relationship requires work put into it. While this may not always be a lot of work, some effort will always be needed. This could be simple little things such as making a cup of coffee for your partner in the morning or running them a hot bath after they get home late from work one night. Just letting them know that you care about them is especially important. 
  • Give and Take- In every relationship, you are going to have to give without any expectations of getting anything back from the other person. This means that when there is extra work to be done, you are going to have to pick up the slack without getting mad about it and without expecting anything in return. But there are also times that you are going to have to be willing to accept help without being able to promise anything in return. For example, if you are sick and your partner has to pick up the slack, you are just going to have to accept the help. That is part of being in a relationship.
  • Enjoying Their Happiness- Sometimes, one of the most incredible things about love is that you get to enjoy the happiness of another person. Even when you are having a bad day or when things are not going right for you, their happiness can lift you up and bring joy into your life. 
  • Forgiveness even when you are angry. You can get extremely angry with your partner or hurt by their actions, they may annoy you or frustrate you, but you are full of forgiveness. You know that the longer you stay angry at them, the more that it hurts you. 
  • You are willing to make sacrifices for them. You are willing to make sacrifices for them simply because you want to see them happy. They may never even know about the sacrifices that you make for them, but that does not matter to you. The things that you do are not for recognition; they are done out of love and consideration. 
  • It’s all about US. While both of you have space to grow as individuals, you also focus on growing as a couple. You see each other as a part of your lives, and when you think about your future, you see each other. 

Is It True Love?

If you are not experiencing the signs of true love in your relationship, don’t worry. There is a chance that your relationship has not reached that level of maturity yet. Take your time and enjoy your relationship. You cannot force love into any relationship, and it is not going to do you any good to try. At the same time, if you are happy in your relationship, don’t try and change it. 

It is impossible to force your relationship to the next level, so there is no reason to try. Just enjoy it and let it progress naturally.