♡ To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.♡_ Oscar Wilde

in love •  7 years ago  (edited)


Dear steemians,

Today is February 14th and it's Valentine's Day! This is an opportunity for me to tell you about my thoughts on this beautiful expression of love.
When we think of Valentine's Day, the immediate picture that comes to our mind is a couple with all the romance, flowers and chocolates and all sweet things, right?

But the word love has so much more meaning...


source

💗 Here is a definition of love:

Love encompasses a variety of different emotional and mental states, typically strongly and positively experienced, ranging from the deepest interpersonal affection to the simplest pleasure.
source

Love, in my opinion, has many different dimensions and expressions that differ from person to person. It can be love for your parents, children, siblings, steemians friends, neighbors, colleagues, pets, anyone and everyone ...


source

The ancient Greek used 7 words to define the different states of love:

Storge: natural affection, the love you share with your family.

Philia: the love that you have for friends.

Eros: sexual and erotic desire kind of love (positive or negative)

Agape: this is the unconditional love, or divine love

Ludus: this is playful love, like childish love or flirting.

Pragma: long-standing love. The love in a married couple.

Philautia: the love of the self (negative or positive)

source

These are 7 different types of feelings. The love you feel for your partner is not the same as the love you feel for your sister for example. But, we use the same words to express both "I love you", pouting the feelings are different. The intensity is not the same and it can also change over time, intensify or decrease.


💗 You need to love yourself first before you can truly love others!

Following relational failures, this subject has made me think a lot in recent years. I think it has become this ingrained belief that we need a relationship to define our path and our identity. And if unfortunately, we do not have this relationship by a certain amount of time then we missed our life!
That's what the consumer society wants us to believe but, it's false in reality.

Self-love is the key to healthy relationships! Because if we do not love ourselves, we will look for a relationship to fill a gap. We must seek in ourselves the love and self-confidence to be at peace. Then we can love others and help them to be a better version of themselves.
It's the most important thing I've learned in my life about love.

So, don't worry if you have not found your "soulmate", it's not a "blemish".
Do not let others make you think you have a problem. Maybe it's time to focus on yourself and your goals in life. Love can not really control itself, not like a job for example. If this is not the right moment, do not worry, focus on something else and love will come.

Take care of those you love all year long. But above all, take care of yourself!



If you liked reading this post, do not hesitate to UPVOTE, COMMENT and REESTEM!
Thank you for your support and long life to the STEEMIT community !!!

🎀 FlaminGirl 🎀
With love...

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My heart was so broken really so I don't have much to celebrate this Valentines season but I hope yours has been awesome! Happy Valentines to all Steemians :)

Don't be sad my friend... This is a new heart just for you...

Interesting post on Love, which is the most important thing and feeling in the world.
I like the 7 states of love and I had no idea that ancient Greek had words for all these types of love.

I think a lot of people are searching for love, but you first have to feel love within yourself and spread the love in order to attract that love, because Love is everything, it's your happiness it's your life

Absolutely my friend! Thank you for commenting on my post. I am happy if you have learned something new! I would love so much that all people love each other more themselves, without falling into extreme narcissism of course. It will change a lot the way we behave with others ...

Love yourself enough to date yourself. A benefit to dating yourself is that you get to do all the things you want to do and you don't have a partner to be democratic with.

That is the biggest truth... Every love starts with loving (and putting focus on) yourself first! I love how you did this subject! Bravo!

B86559BC-7901-458A-92A6-1E3FC51D4958.jpeg

Thanks @sarahkhann!
Happy Valentine's Day! 💖💖💖

thanks dear :)

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

You should love yourself first because you are the one who lives with you most.

Absolutely! 💖

I loved it! Thank you for that :)

Very nic post.

Thanks my dear and Happy Valentine's day!

Love is belongingness of ones' to your beloved. Its enthralment of two soul's who rejoice with eachother without any fear. Love is wildness of thoughts caught in the bewilderness of soul's. Its essence is immaculate. Love is fearless and doesn't need time to grow. It just grows with the blood thumping from your hearts . Its endless and effortless . Love knows no language its just happens in the moment of togetherness. Love is yourself ., Love is kind . Love is inseparable

It's what love really is, you have understood the real meaning of love.

😇😇😇

One should first learn to love himself.

Amazing the post... I like...
follow steemit me @salda and do not forget post the votes... See you next time... 👈👉💪💪💪🙋‍♂️😍😘

Hello @flamingirl ... don't forget the chocolate!

Great post on self-love by the way ... thank you for sharing.

If All Else FailsThere's AlwaysChocolate.png
(Image courtesy of pixaby.com ... the saying ... all my own!)

Thank you so much for your nice comment my friend and Happy Valentine's Day! 💖

LOVEly blog for this day!

Thank you for reminding Valentine's Day, I have not celebrated for a long time

Great post. I really used the part in which you wrote definitions of all types of love.

Storge, Philia, Eros, Agape, Ludus, Pragma, Philautia

And I really admire Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is the best, I admire him too!
Thanks for your nice comment my friend :D

This is such a lovely and wise post! But do not forget that we should always love the people around us and yourself each and every day! <3

Absolutely my friend! Thank you so much for your nice comment and Happy Valentine's Day! <3

Geez, you really don't think about how many ways we can love. Nice breakdown of it all. It's love that makes the world go round. And we as people need to love more and hate less.

I didn't either.

OK so Focus on something else, this might not be the right time, love will bring it self. Lesson learnt, beautiful post.

Keep love in your heart. A life without love is a sunless garden where the flowers are dead~ wilde

I see it in your eyes,
You can see in my eyes,
You can feel it from my heart.
So let's make each moments best.
So let's share each secrets.
You are miracle that makes my life complete,
As long as there's a breath in me,
I'll make your life sweet.
I promise to make all your dreams come true..
Good Times, Bad Times,
I will Never leave you.
I will be the hero of your dreams desire
You'll never find a love as true as mine.
Be mine for lifetime, Be My Valentine...
@flamingirl💜

OMG my first declaration of love on steemit! ^^
Thank you for this nice comment my dear friend @jahangirwifii.

Welcome.... @flamingirl

For someone on this Valentine.
Don't ask me what present I want for Valentine's Day. Neither expensive jewellery, nor a hundred roses would compare to your warm hugs and tender kisses. All I want is you by my side, darling. <3 <3

OMG my second declaration of love on steemit! Thank you my dear friend @mashwanii ;)
Happy Valentine's Day!

You are Welcome Dear. Stay Happy and Stay blessed <3 <3

Awww..that is beautifully done.. 👍 i was not aware of the greek 6 stages of love...interesting to read that. 👌

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

That true. Thanks for that amazing post. Have a nice time loving yourself.
Steemians loves you more. Including me.
Resteemed!

Thank you so much for your nice comment and Have a Good Valentine's day my steemian friend! 💘

It is a golden rule that cannot be shadowed.

Love your neighbors as you love yourself. We always find a way to extent unto others the truest sense of worth we accord ourselves. Many don't admit but its the reality.

We release love from the fountain deep within us. It all starts from loving ourselves, before we can truly love others.

Nice post @flamingirl

Absolutely my dear friend @apolllo! Thanks a lot for your nice and right comment!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Lovely post @flaminggirl! Just what i needed this Valentine's day. Agape love covers all form of love.



agape.jpg

@flamingirl, I Like the Ancient Greek’s ideas.,.. there are so many loves. I feel them all intensely! <3 to you all @steemsausage

hear some romantic photography......firstly your photography is nice and second you sharing a nice post...i impressed and waiting for your next post

Thank you so much for your nice comment my friend and Happy Valentine's Day! 💖

Lovely. I love you for this

oh way to much self love. i am running low on hand cream and kleenux:P

Happy Valentine day to all my Steemit family we hope so you will enjoy here with handsome peoples

For sure. The more we can understand and love ourselves the more we can love and understand others. If humanity could master this our world would be a difference place.

@flamingirl Exactly the message I've been trying to pass along. you gotta love yourself enough so you can truly love others. I got a similar post on my blog. you can check it out.

@flamingirl This post is great - I totally agree with focusing on yourself first and not placing so much importance on someone else who may just be temporary in the greater scheme of things. If you like psychology check out my new post I would love to hear your opinion https://steemit.com/life/@t8scones/life-always-finds-a-way-fighting-loneliness

This is so awesome. Nice write up. @flaminGirl, you rock baby!

This post just make me look back on my past. It talks about the guy I should to be. My last relationship, I really love her and felt we were meant to be. She was my happiness, I did everything to make her happy Eventhough it brought pain to me. I used to think my life would be meaniless without her in it. Alot of event and circumstances were against our relationship but I kept fighting even when she believed things won't work out.

During 3 years of our relationship, we broke up several times and still get back. I was usually the guy trying to bring restore the relationship. I knew she loves me but the problem was her unwillingness to fight for the success of the relationship.

I examined by life, I had few friends and she was the person I spend almost all my free time with. I discovered I was not having personal time with myself because my devotion to be with her.

Before we ended the relationship, I realized something, "If you not willing to sacrifice for the things you value, it will be easy push over".

She end the relationship but the unusual thing is that I haven't tried to reach out to her for 7 months now though I may have not completely gotten over her.

Right now, my best time is moment I work on improving my self. I have more friends compared to when I was with her. My perception about relationship is that if it won't enhance the personality and well being of the parties involved, it should not ventured into.

This post just make me look back on my past. It talks about the guy I should to be. My last relationship, I really love her and felt we were meant to be. She was my happiness, I did everything to make her happy Eventhough it brought pain to me. I used to think my life would be meaniless without her in it. Alot of event and circumstances were against our relationship but I kept fighting even when she believed things won't work out.

During 3 years of our relationship, we broke up several times and still make up. I was usually the guy trying to restore the relationship. I news she loves me but the problem was her unwillingness to fight for the success of the relationship.

I examined by life, I had few friends and she was the person I spent almost all my free time with. I discovered I was not having personal time with myself because of my devotion to be with her.

Before we ended the relationship, I realized something, "If your not willing to sacrifice for the things you value, it will be easy to push over".

She end the relationship but the unusual thing is that I haven't tried to reach out to her for 7 months now though I may have not completely gotten over her.

Right now, my best time is moment I work on improving myself. I have more friends compared to when I was with her. My perception about relationship is that if it won't enhance the personality and well being of the parties involved, it should not ventured into.

Totally agree! You need to start with yourself first, only then you can truly meet your second half and have healthy relationships

Everything written in your post is just true @flamingirl
Love yourself first
Nice post though

Thank you do much for your nice comment my friend and Happy Valentine's Day! 💖

I want like this on this wonderful day.. but the problem is I'm still single!!!!!

DQmXwhbQ4ZvQWwNSw5ftKo5iDWrS5DqkHie99reu4YJUwrM.jpg

You should not see this as a problem my friend! enjoy your freedom and your soulmate will come when it will be the right time 💖.
Thanks for sharring this beautiful drawing!

Thanks

Youve got no problem, in being single, you get to know yourself better and fall in love with yourself, being single is fun also.

Absolutely @masterpiz! ;)

You are absolutely right @masterpiz

Before you give up just think of the reason why you make a choice

idk what love is, but it's nice whenever I feel it :D! :)
nice post :)