Falling in love can be one of the best feelings in the world. For some people, it can be hard to distinguish between love and lust, as the signs can seem similar in many ways. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We have all gone through that phase in some form or fashion. Here are the deciding factors between the two.
According to A Conscious Rethink, “love is a deep feeling of affection that you have for another person… lust, on the other hand, is basically a physical attraction that leads to an overwhelming feeling of sexual desire thanks to a rush of hormones.” Basically, lust only cares about someone’s physical appearance, while love looks deep within for a more meaningful connection. This is not to say that you can’t have a sexual attraction for your partner; you are just more likely to have an emotional connection with a person you are in love with. Your physical attraction towards your partner is merely the cherry on top.
So, how can you tell if you’re in love? The truth is, we all love differently. However, there are, in fact, a few key factors that can help you determine whether you have reached love, and I have listed some of them below. The fun part...you get to find out for yourself if you have fallen hard for your significant other.
Check off the statements that you identify with:
- The thought of spending time with your partner both excites you and makes you anxious.
- You’re excited to do things you’ve already done a million times before because you get to share them with your partner.
- They are your first thought in the morning and the last one at night.
- You find yourself always wanting to show affection, whether it be holding hands or a nice cuddle.
- You start to feel some of their emotions as if they were your own.
- Things that used to grind your gears don’t really seem too important anymore.
- You’re comfortable being your weird and silly self, even if it means making bad jokes.
- Even when they annoy you, you want them around.
- You want to show them all of your favorite things because you want them to know you better than anyone else. (Hopefully, they like the same things as you).
- Since you don’t plan to let them go anytime soon, you start thinking about what a future will look like together.
If you checked off 3-5 boxes, congratulations, you’re probably in love! Many struggles to find love, but you have succeeded at finding that once-in-a-lifetime partner that you wouldn’t dare live without. The buck, of course, does not end here. You and your partner will still need to work within your relationship. But it’s work you want to be doing.
As Paul Coelho once said, “love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.” Live every day as a meaning for your partner, and you will be on your way to becoming official.
