The most frightening of the world's lies are the ones that creep ever so slowly into our daily lives through the media. These little lies are repeated over and over again until our minds begin to believe them.
Here are five of those lies about love that you have probably started to believe:
1. Love means never having to say you're sorry
Anyone who has ever had any kind of healthy relationship knows that this is totally untrue. Obviously, whoever came up with this phrase knows very little about true love. A good relationship depends upon a couple's ability to resolve conflicts. Those who do not know how to work through problems, apologize for mistakes and forgive offenses made against them are not very capable of maintaining loving relationships. Remember, no one is perfect. Not you. Not your sweetheart. Thus, blunders will be made and feelings will be hurt. When you truly love someone, you will do whatever it takes to make things right when times get rough. Love means saying sorry often and forgiving repeatedly.
2. When the spark is gone, the love is gone
Just because the sparks and butterflies aren't flying around like they used to doesn't mean your love has died. That twitterpated feeling is not love; it is a product of love. But true love is caring so deeply for someone that his or her happiness and well-being are more important to you than your own.
Those fluttering feelings are of course important in a romantic relationship. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that your love is gone if those sparks fade. Do not give up on it so easily. If it has lost its sparkle, polish it up! Look at your relationship and find things that are lacking. Work on them with your sweetheart and fall in love all over again.
3. Love is disposable
It is sad to admit, but we live in an extremely selfish world. Media has pumped the idea into our minds that everything is disposable. If your phone is broken, get an upgrade. If your clothes aren't up-to-date, go buy new ones. If your marriage isn't everything you dreamed it would be, throw it away and find something better. It is really rather pathetic.
It is time to wake up and realize that certain things are made to last. Love is not a toy that will eventually need to be replaced by something shinier. True love was made to endure anything. It was not meant to be temporary. It was not meant to be thrown away.
4. There is no such thing as a happily ever after
Anyone who has started to believe this lie has probably heard, said or thought something to the effect of, "Welcome to the real world." Unfortunately, this "real world" is often seen as a world of pain, suffering, hardships and certainly no happy endings. Why have we chosen to make our view of the "real world" a negative one? Yes, life is hard — harder than you ever thought it would be. Your heart has probably been broken at least once. Hopes and dreams have most likely been crushed multiple times. It has been rough. But that is not everything life has to offer.
Amidst trials, you can still choose to be happy and love with all your heart. No, your life isn't a fairytale. No, fairy tales aren't even real. But, believe it or not, you do not need a dashing prince to have a happily ever after.
5. All you need is love
This is a very popular lie that, unfortunately, many people have started to believe. They have begun to think that if you have love, nothing else matters. This is wrong. Love is wonderful, but it isn't "all you need." If you want your relationship to last, you need a sweet friendship, total trust, feelings of respect, a great deal of forgiveness, lots of patience, effective communication, complete support and loads of laughter.
Your relationship will not survive life's many curveballs if it is based solely on romance. If it is not rooted in something deeper, it will blow away at the first sign of a storm. This true, deep love doesn't stop bad things from happening, but it does make life worth living.
