Lifestyle

The Riskiest Thing You Will Ever Do Is Love Another Human Being

by Leanne Quinn
Stocksy

There must be millions of songs, poems, stories and films about love. But, how many of them could possibly be real?

If you think about the lyrics — and I mean really think about them — like, "love is a beautiful song," or "my love for you is like a red, red rose," it seems that often, the most beautiful of songs reflect the saddest and most torturous emotions. After all, even the reddest of roses has its thorns.

The riskiest thing we will ever do in our lifetimes is let ourselves fall in love with another human being.

Once you love someone, you must be prepared to wear your heart on your sleeve for the duration of the love. You must prepare to be exposed, to be vulnerable and, in a lot of cases, to be hurt.

When we put our trust and love in others, we expect them to have our best interests at heart. We expect them to act, do and say anything and everything that will bring only more love and support.

But, what happens when this isn't the case?

What happens when we've exposed ourselves so much, only to end up hurt? What happens when we let ourselves be vulnerable and sensitive, only to have our trust broken? What happens when we believe in someone else, even more than ourselves, and that person throws it back in our faces?

That's the funny thing about love -- it can make your heart, but it can also break it.

So, what do we do? Do we avoid love at all costs as a form of self-protection? Do we never again dare allow ourselves to be that vulnerable, that sensitive, that dependent on other people?

Do we choose a life of solitude and depend wholly on ourselves because we can't let ourselves down, and we surely can't hurt ourselves as badly as others can?

This, I know for sure: A life without love is hardly a life; it is merely an existence.

No matter how hurt, how heartbroken or how deep the mistrust of a broken love left us, we should never, ever be afraid to love again. Yes, it's a risk, and no, I'm not promising you that it won't happen again.

But, as Oscar Wilde wrote,

Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.

I truly believe if we shut the possibility of love out of our lives, we, in turn, give up on ourselves.

You might not see the connection here, but consider this: Love is the most powerful thing in this world, without exception.

By saying we dare not love for fear of the associated risks, we don't even allow the love for ourselves to exist. First and foremost, the only person in this world you need to love is yourself.

Once this happens, you will radiate love, happiness and positivity and instantly become magnetic to those around you.

You attract good things into your life when you learn to love yourself, so don't be afraid of it.

Love is, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing you will ever experience. But, unfortunately, it often requires hindsight or the loss of a loved one to come to this realization. Learn from this lesson.

The solution may be as simple as never going to sleep in an argument with someone or simply telling those you love how much they mean to you every day.

Some people who have loved and lost, for whatever reason, never get to say what they wanted to those they loved so dearly.

Ask anyone you know in this position, and oftentimes, his or her wish is to have the lost loved one back for one more conversation, so the love could be communicated.

Spare a thought for those with lost loves and let their experiences guide yours.

Yes, love can hurt, but it can also take you places you never imagined. After all, what is life without a little bit of risk?