Aloha,
My name is Love. I mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. As you go through life and experience different types of love, I want you to understand the guiding principles behind my existence. A lot of people use me as an excuse to manipulate and hurt others, but I am never those things used to cause harm to oneself and to others. If you take the time to truly understand what I’m about, then you will be able to recognize my impersonators that claim they are me but are full of negativity and toxicity. When you truly understand who I am, you will be able to see me in others. That will bring happiness and satisfaction to your life. So below are the characteristics of who I am and how I show up in relationships.
1- Love is never jealous. No exceptions.
2- Love never expects perfection or blind obedience.
3- Love will always show you their commitment, not just verbalize it.
4- Love will NEVER ask you to change who you are to fit into someone else’s image of you or make you compromise your values and beliefs.
5- Love does not verbally belittle you in front of others or in private.
6- Love will not ask for your account information (passwords, usernames, bank accounts, etc.) as a way to track and control you
7- Love is NEVER physically or sexually abusive.
8- Love will always strive to support you to better yourself and celebrate all your accomplishments.
9- Love is forgiving but Love also sets clear boundaries that need to be respected.
10- Love understands when people grow apart and need to move on.
11- Love acknowledges that there are times in life where love is not strong enough to heal broken relationships and that itʻs okay to move on
12- Love is patient and will always honor you where you are at in your life and support you in your challenges
13- Love will not stand by and watch you self-destruct. There are times when you have to love someone from afar so their negativity does not spread to you
14- Love is honest and open communication without pointing the finger at the other party and blaming them for our poor choices
So now that you have a better understanding of what I am and what I am not, please go out into this world with love in your heart and share with others what you have learned. I know there are people we know that are in relationships that may not be about love or at least the love described above. If you know someone who is stuck in an unhealthy relationship or has been made to believe that love is a partner who is controlling and abusive, please share with them the resources listed below. We all deserve a life filled with true love and happiness.
Sincerely… Love
RESOURCES: www.teenlinkhawaii.org / www.tap808.org / www.domesticviolenceactioncenter.org (teen-alert program)
To learn more about love and communication, we are hosting a virtual workshop on Saturday, February 13, 2021 from 11:00-1:00 pm (HST). We will be doing a book study on the book, A Teenʻs Guide to the 5 Love Languages: How to Understand Yourself and Improve All Your Relationships. All participants will receive the book and a few extra goodies to help with communication. For $25 off, use the coupon code: HOAALOHA