Do you believe in love?

Love… it can be the most exciting, intense and amazing thing in this world yet it can also be the most scary. I’m not talking about the love you have for your friends, family and yourself, I’m talking about the all-consuming, deep romantic kind.

I love ‘LOVE' and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I’m a hopeless romantic and I’m very optimistic when it comes to finding ‘The One’. I’m totally all about the cliché things that come with love and meeting people. I do believe in fate and that we meet people and have them come into our lives for a reason, this might make me weak or sound pathetic, but I’m not going to pretend that it’s not what I want. 

I find there’s a lot of people out there that say love is stupid, that you don’t need anyone but yourself, that it doesn’t exist and not to be so desperate about finding it.

There are so many reasons why people can be sceptical about love, have their doubts and negative opinions. Whether someone’s been hurt in past, has trouble being vulnerable with others or just doesn’t feel worthy enough to receive it. I get it, but I think deep down regardless of what is said we still just want someone to love us.

When we pull back all the layers of our past, pain and experiences, love is what we look for every day, It’s what we truly desire, It’s the end game right? To feel unconditionally loved by someone even after exposing our vulnerability, to share and experience life with them and grow together.

I’ve been single for a few years now and don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining or putting my life on hold in the hope of finding someone because that’s not the case. I have an awesome fulfilling life and I do really love my own company. I do so many cool things and have achieved more than I ever thought possible but I mean, it would be nice to share that with someone too.

I feel like I’ve done my fair share of “Inner Work”. I’ve read many books, listened to podcasts and music, meditated, said yes to dates, said no to dates, watched movies, cried, laughed, slept and received so much advice. Yes, I’m still single but that doesn’t mean I’ve failed the ‘Inner Work Curriculum” because I mean really, is there an end date or achievement point where you get the ‘Congratulations, you’ve completed the inner work required, you will now be presented with your pick of compatible partners’ award? 

Over the years I’ve put myself out there and been open to different people and possibilities. I’ve been on a few dates, some good, some bad and I’ve even hopped on plane to spend time with someone. I’ve been hurt but have also had amazing times too and I don’t regret a thing because it’s all part of the journey, right? 

Although sometimes it can be difficult to stay positive and optimistic when yet again another date or person doesn’t work out, it may seem easier to just give up and be negative or let go of your values and just settle, but what would be the point of that?

There is love out there for all of us, even if you don’t believe it or feel worthy enough for it. I have faith that the right person will come along for me and I know that I won’t have to settle for anything less than what I truly deserve. In the mean time, I will continue to put myself out there and fantasise about me being a part of a cliché romantic story.

You can read more of Emily’s posts on her blog here.