"Love is by far the greatest and most powerful force known to man." Chuck Danes

The concept of love is as diverse as every human being. Each of us defines love based on our past experiences, personalities, needs and desires. I remember the relationship that I was in when I fully realized this concept. "I love you", he said. Feeling guilty, I thought, "Yeah, but you don't love me the way I need to be loved." What was I saying? I knew that this person loved me with all his heart, yet, it wasn't that "I got your back, we can do anything, we're one, freedom, justice and equality" type of love that I craved. I've never walked around with my head in the clouds. I'd never been the type of girl who sat around and waited for a mystical knight in shining armor. I have always been the girl who was willing to help her knight shine his armor. I knew in my soul that love was bigger than the narrow definition I had subjected myself to.

I eventually summoned the courage to be honest with myself and him. His love for me did not free him to be the type of person that my soul desired. So, the love lost some of its power. I had previously hung around because I didn't want to hurt his feelings and I thought I couldn't do any better than him loving me with all his heart. Yet my heart told me that I could have the type of love that elevated me and my mate as opposed to the restrictive place in which I currently wallowed. My inner voice quietly whispered; telling me that love is a powerful force that can take your life to the next level. The powerful freedom of love is your birthright.

Our limited definition of love can place restrictions on all the relationships in our lives. When we are open to love, we are free to be what the other person needs us to be. Moreover, we are free to be ourselves. Our loved ones can offer comfort, relief from challenges and the power of unity. I actually had a hard time with this concept after giving what I thought was my all in relationships that didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. I could only blame my narrow definition of love and my inability to demonstrate the love I desired. I had to dig deep for courage and strength, explore my expectations and refine my definition before I could come to terms with the concept.

When you love freely and from a source higher than yourself, your connection is like an explosion that can be heard around the world. Everyone can feel it, see it, hear it and maybe even benefit from it. It is productive and attracts goodness and manifests in your life in a way that makes you a better person. Why be in a relationship, I've always thought, if the relationship does not help you to be a better person? I remember my parents had that type of love. Everyone wanted to be around them, they were committed and goal oriented. And the fruits of their love were wildly evident. They changed each others lives for the good. They navigated through a host of mistakes and challenges, in the name of the connection they had. I didn't understand the value of their relationship until I got older and started to experiment with love myself. I am so grateful for having witnessed this beauty as a child. I'm a better person because of their love. Their love was not a burden, it was like an elevator that lifted them into higher consciousness and took their lives to the next level. Much of who they were was wrapped up in the love they had for one another. They openly helped each other and went out of their way to be assets to one another.

This powerful freedom of love can be experienced in many different forms, from friends and siblings to parents and strangers. Most of us carry so much baggage that we are burdened by our past experiences and risk missing out of the power that love can have in our lives. Do the people around you love you, or is it just lip service, designed to fulfill their own personal desires? Do you love the person you are with? Or is it just obligation and habit that keep you hanging around?

Be courageous and evaluate your relationships. Make sure that you are not a victim of lip service or that you are victimizing someone out of convenience or habit. Be strong and fearless enough to let go of what is not working. Trust in the Creator and know that He wants what is best for you. He's already set the universe in motion to serve you. Stop manipulating, being a victim or victimizing. Stop settling and settle in on the fact that the powerful freedom of love is your birthright. Don't subject yourself to the narrow definition of love that supports your fears and pain. You deserve to experience the magical effects of the greatest, most powerful force known to man. The fruit of love is freedom. What better gift is there than that?