It is complex. It is powerful. It confuses people. What is LOVE?
    Love is that phenomena that can’t be defined. However, the physical realm is where we experience love's effects. And that part can be described. Like the seven colors in the rainbow, Love is a continuum.
   One can separate it, in his/her mind, into a few distinct concepts. For me there are 3 aspects of love I have personally experienced: The personality of love,  the decision to love and the passionate kind of love.

   Often, when people tell what it would take for them to fall in love, they will give attributes of their potential beloved. As if the beloved must prove his or her worthiness. As in, "I will love you, if you do these things for/to me. But if you don’t, or start to do these other things, which I don’t like, I will not permit myself to love you." As if one's love is a reward for good behavior on the part of the beloved.
   This can be true in the case of Love: The Decision, which can be conditional, but Love: The Passionate, for instance, has nothing to do with the personality or "qualifications" of the beloved.

   Or, when asked "what is love?" People reply, "when he does this for me," or, "when she does that to me," or "when he does not do this," etc. Their definition being very focused on what they will receive, and how that will make them feel loved. Those with this kind of a definition, are usually those who have never truly loved, or been in love, I find. They are waiting to be loved by someone else, before they will dare to love, only in return.
   The greatest loving relationships exist when both partners love unconditionally. Both are actively thinking of ways to help and please the other, without a thought of what they are getting for it, in return. Each is in the relationship for the welfare of the other, not so that they can feel loved themselves. They are, of course, overjoyed to receive love from the other, but for them, giving love is how they are satisfied, not receiving it.

   For indeed, to love is to give. To be in a relationship for the sole purpose of receiving love is selfish. And, relationships wherein the participants only give things to their partner, for what the will get back for it, are also based on selfish motivation. And selfishness is the antithesis of love.
   To truly love, one must choose to risk everything and become absolutely vulnerable. Countless people have had their hearts broken this way, but countless more have never had their hearts healed, because they would not risk enough. Love heals! It's miraculous!
    I can tell you from experience, that even though it can hurt terribly, it is the only way to live. Anything less, is an unspeakable tragedy. It’s worth it!!
    When we dare to love, and are hurt for doing so, it is not Love's fault. Imperfect people love imperfectly. If we experience a hurtful relationship, it may be that it has some pure true love, but it is mixed with misunderstanding and immaturity, or even a love- counterfeit, like possessiveness, lust, reward/ punishment systems, co- dependency, et cetera. Fears, caused by our wounded pasts, may also play a part in our inability to have a healthy loving relationship.

   Love as purely as you can. I have found that, even though I am not perfect, the love I show and feel is still able to do it's mindblowing, blessed miracles, making my life and and the lives of those who permit me to show my love to them, more heavenly; more beautiful.
                           Love makes you beautiful.