When it comes to love, we often think of it as an emotion we feel toward someone. However, love is so much more than just a feeling. It is an action. It is something that we do. And when we do it fearlessly, it can change everything.
What was it like the last time you experienced love? What did you do? How did you act? Chances are, you were fearless. You didn’t let anything stand in your way. But, unfortunately, in our fast-paced, anxiety-ridden world, it’s easy to get caught up in what could go wrong and lose sight of what’s essential: loving someone fearlessly. But what does it exactly mean to love someone fearlessly? And how can we do it? Here are four steps to help you love someone fearlessly.
When we love someone, we are brave and open ourselves up to the possibility of being hurt. But that’s a risk worth taking because the rewards of love are far greater than the pain of heartbreak. Unfortunately, our “self” often talks us out of the best things for our lives because it requires us to be vulnerable and sometimes inconvenienced. We don’t hear the word, but this is “selfishness” at its best. Before I get a slew of comments regarding the freedom in genuinely knowing yourself and that selfishness can be good for healing, please know I get it. I get it. But for now, can we agree that our “self,” sometimes referred to as our “flesh,” fights us because loving someone fearlessly requires too much letting go and diving into the “great unknown.”
To love fearlessly is to let go of our need for control and allow ourselves to be vulnerable. It means trusting that the person we love will catch us when we fall. It means allowing your true feelings about someone to be known and owning up to those feelings. After all, if you have “love and lost” in the past, loving again can freeze you in your tracks. Analysis paralysis kicks in, and there you are, one big emotionally charged ball of anxiety giving into the “what ifs,” and some may say practicing a self-sabotaging behavior pattern. But patterns, as with habits, can be broken if you choose to do so.
Loving fearlessly requires us to look into the mirror and be honest with ourselves. Break down the word “fearless,” and what does it mean to you? Overall, “fearless” becomes “fear-less.” Still, it needs more of an intentional definition because we all have different things we fear based on our personal histories, temperaments, and self-defined desires.
What are you fearful of and why? Is this fear real or imagined? Then let it go! This is where truly releasing your perceived control over the outcome comes into play. The best part, yet the most fearful part of loving someone, is letting go of that fear. But it is only in letting go of that fear that you can truly love someone fearlessly.
So if you’re feeling scared or uncertain about your relationship, take a deep breath and remind yourself that love is always worth the risk. Besides, love only grows when shared with others. So be brave and love your special someone fearlessly.
