It is a very common question, “How can I tell I’m in love?”, but it is not an easy question to answer. What feels like love to one person may be nothing more than attraction to another. Some people fall in and out of love quickly and often while others are never really in love as much as they are in lust.

What is love? What makes you want a romantic relationship with one person and not another? How does your heart choose a partner? Why does love end? These questions can’t be easily answered.

One of the most confusing quasi-love feelings is lust. Lust is a very powerful, very intense feeling of physical attraction toward another person. Lust is mainly sexual in nature – the attraction is superficial based on instant chemistry rather than genuine caring. Usually we lust after people we do not know well, people we still feel comfortable fantasizing about. It is very common for people to confuse lust for love.

Lust is clearly not love. Love is based on more than just physical attraction. Sure, attraction is a factor, but love goes deeper than that. Love is based on caring, friendship, commitment and trust. When you are in love it is as if you have your best most trusted friend at your side AND you feel physically attracted to them. It is the best of both worlds!

There is no easy way to find the truth behind your feelings or the feelings of another person but there are some tell-tale signs that love is blooming (or growing deeper). Here are 9 statements that if you agree with you are probably in love.

• You know, because you have been told by your significant other, that your deep feelings are returned in kind.
• The object of your affections makes you feel special and good about yourself.
• If/when you feel jealous it is always fleeting; you trust your partner not to betray you or hurt your relationship.
• Nothing makes you feel as serene as when you and your partner are together.
• When you fight with your partner you usually make up within a few hours and you always agree that nothing is more important than you both being able to express your true feelings (even if they sometimes cause conflict).
• Your partner never asks you to choose between him/her and your loyalties to your family and friends – if you do choose him/her over them you always have a good reason and it is always YOUR decision, and your decision alone.
• Neither you or your partner feel the need to test the other’s loyalties or feelings.
• You are more yourself when with your partner than you are with anybody else.
• If sex is part of your relationship it is by mutual desire and agreement without the slightest hint of commitment testing or persuasion.

Tags: Finding Love
Filed under: Soulmates