Were the Beatles Wrong?

All you need is love....you've heard that before right...sing it with me...Love is all you need. I'm a hopeless romantic...I know I've posted many blogs that would lead you to think otherwise, but really I'm the kind of girl that just wants to wear her boyfriends old sweatshirt because it smells like him. That wants to make eyes across the room and know with just a look that there's no one else. A girl who wants that Titantic-esc moment of artist love with wild abandon. But with my post on prox-intimacy did I spur up another conversation? A conversation I never knew I was brewing until I heard your responses to it?

Possibly because I want nothing more than to be hopelessly magically foolishy in love, I tend to want Love to really be all you need....yet I'm reminded tonight, there's so much more. There's physical attraction, there's the daily stuff and most importantly there's recognizing HOW you want to be loved......so the question is:
Is HOW we show we love someone more important than loving them at all?

How do you love someone correctly? Do they want to be showered with gifts and tokens of affection? Do they want your time? Do they want constant praise? Do they need loads of physical affection? Or do they want you to march down the street waving a flag with their name on it? What makes them feel loved? And what do you do if your styles are different?

I was introduced to this theory a few months ago and I think I'm finally starting to understand it, but the problem with a theory in real life is that there are strings attached.....heartstrings. Once you're involved it's hard to hear that all the things you do for someone aren't enough...when really they probably are, they just aren't the right display for your partner. Suddenly one of you starts to feel inadequate or tries hard to please at the expense of not enjoying it and in the end, you both just feel like you're not enough..that everything you do is just wrong...and your love...or your WAY of loving, just simply isn't good enough.

I guess someone can be in love with you or fall out of love at any moment for so many reasons....many which you might not feel you have control over, or never realized you should have controlled in the first place. I personally want out-of-control love.....where it simply doesn't make sense yet makes perfect sense and everything isnt' always right or easy, but just works.

Take a moment to think about if you compliment those you care about enough. Are you in a rut of picking out their flaws? For me, the truth is, I find flaws endearing. I think the flaws are what make a relationship interesting....sometimes the things that come between people are unfortunately exactly what drew you to them in the first place. What? You used to love the fact that I"m outgoing and can talk to anyone? And independent? Trying to become successful? It was attractive that I ate pizza remember? And cute that I text if I couldn't call when I'm thinking of you....and want to sleep in together......then WHAMO....suddenly all those cute little quirks become a list of romantic failures.

We've all been there...don't lie. Whatever side you're on at this moment, think if these issues are that big of a deal...if they are so monumental they are worth losing the person you really are head over heels for? Try telling them the ways You want to be Loved..what makes you feel appreciated. Ok, so what if the problem is you love them but maybe you're not in love... is it because of these differences or because you want something different? Don't try to change someone---If you really do love that someone, then maybe we all need to look at ourselves and recognize that sometimes people aren't perfect, but at the end of the day, if they just stupidly love us anyway..and we can learn to accept their gestures of affection that they ARE good at.....then maybe, just maybe John Lennon had it right.

I'll leave you to decide for yourself with of few of the lyrics ---from the Beatles "All you need is love"

Love, Love, Love.Love, Love, Love.Love, Love, Love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
It's easy. All you need is love...
Nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It's easy. All you need is love...

All you need is love, love.Love is all you need.All you need is love (All together, now!)All you need is love. (Everybody!)All you need is love, love.Love is all you need (love is all you need).

Prox-intimacy

Anything can come between two people..... beliefs, arguments, interests, lack of intimacy, work, goals, money, children, or simply distance. I was told a quote once that said the worst hell for a human is "proximity without intimacy". It's being with someone without physically feeling the connection...and I think thats true for any of those things on my list.

Have you ever been close to someone and felt like your beliefs, politicially or personally are opposite? Or maybe you love different activities and can't seem to enjoy doing things together because someone is constantly compromising. Worlds worst, you are together but have no physical touch or tender moments....maybe work keeps you away, your goals are opposite or children take all your energy and attention. Maybe it's what I'm contemplating.....the miles between you are daunting.

I've thought about this phenomenon a lot lately....and the fact that so many people I know live a life without intimacy in their relationships in one or more of those areas, yet feel crippled to make changes for the better. So the question is, how do we get the courage to ask for more, or recognize we were mentally telling ourselves we lived on a cute little culdasac, when really our heart knew it was nothing more than a fancy name for a dead end?

Prox-intimacy I'm going to call it.....what does it take to survive a friendship or relationship that prohibits you from feeling connected in some awful way? Because to be honest, sometimes it's not a flaw, it's a circumstance....

Perhaps right now you are the one who's moving, or traveling, or working, or uninterested, or focused on other priorities.....either side of it, we've all been witness to moments where someone cuts us off. At it's worst it's verbally not speaking to us, physically cannot look us in the eye, or simply refuses to feel our touch. I don't think any human deserves that....heck, or animal for that matter! I have chosen in my life to change my relationships...be honest about my wants and flaws and needs. I've learned you cannot get what you want unless you decide for yourself to get it, or ask for it from those you love. I used to believe I could hint to people and they would respond....I'm a very talented persuader if I do say so myself. Having a psychology background, I often times would use reverse psychology to coax others to do what I needed without ever having to directly ask. Was a it a great talent...yes. Was it fulfilling....absolutely not. Through my experiences I've learned that asking is a much better policy...most often those who are worth your time will reciprocate and go above and beyond what you ask for.

So my message today....Don't settle for a friend, spouse, lover, or co-worker who isn't willing to work at your relationship. Allowing yourself to feel like you're shut off from another person emotionally isn't fair to you, or if you've shut off from another person, don't string them along... be honest about how you're feeling or take time to figure out what's at the root of your behavior. Sometimes making the decision to move on if you don't feel good about yourself or connected intimately with that person is ok....even if on paper, they looked like a perfect match to your needs.

Prox-intimacy.....the need for proximity WITH intimacy.....simply put, don't settle for less.