Perfection of love

The book of life, I contend, is the story of Light and Love. Since death is not real, the Soul being eternal. I like to imagine that he means the end of the process of suffering unlovingness. For to be unloved is a kind of death. The Light and Love are one and the same. In fact, it is the Light that is loving through us when we feel love. 

Once a soul gets that it is the Allness, lovingness happens spontaneously, because the Beloved is expressing Itself. 

Human love is conditioned by want. The soul, mistaking itself for the ego, the mind, and the body, seeks to possess and to own the object of desire. It seeks almost to want to absorb it into itself so that it can be greater. 

In romantic love, for example, the lover seeks approval, safety, and control. Wealth and beauty and charm increase the attributes of the lover because the ego of the other wants it for itself. 

Parental love is purer, although now there is a desire for the child to exemplify the qualities and values of the parent. 

Animal love for its owner is almost completely spontaneous. When a dog delights in his master's presence, or when cat purrs at the touch of your hand, this is probably as pure a love you can find in everyday life. There is no cunning in this love, no projection of future gain, no thought about manipulating the lover. The love is spontaneous, pure, and a simple appreciation of the moment. 

Finally, the ultimate love is when one can love for the other what the other wants for him or herself. This now starts to blend into transcendental love, and we begin to love others the way I imagine God loves us. Love for its own sake, because that is who we are and because the grace in the other is so obvious to us. 

In the words of the famous philosopher and the cherished saint, we find a great mystery revealed. Here we touch upon the entire fabric of life, which is, in my opinion, a spiritual journey. Beyond what we think about life, there is the way of the heart, which is spontaneous and pure before it becomes sullied with too much analysis. 

What the heart wants is to return Home to the arms of the Beloved. It does this by feeling what the Beloved feels, unconditional loving. 

“It is not for the love of a husband that a husband is dear; but for the love of the Soul in the husband that is dear. 

“It is not for the love of a wife that a wife is dear; but for the love of the Soul in the wife that is dear. 

“It is not for the love of children that children are dear; but for the love of the Soul in children that is dear. 

“It is not for the love of all that all is dear; but for the love of the Soul in all that is dear.” 

It is a love story between the unmanifest and the manifest; a story about the relationship between God and Soul. And when the Soul reciprocates to the love of the Divine, the earth journey concludes with a contented sigh.

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Knowing the difference between lust and love is an essential

Perhaps you're wildly attracted to someone and thoughts of that person dominate your mind a good portion of the day and night. Perhaps you can't wait until the next time the two of you will be together again. 

There is a very fine line between lust and love because the two of them are closely related. Being able to tell the difference can save you from wasting your time pursuing an unhealthy relationship which is doomed to eventual failure. 

When you are together you can't keep your hands off one another and when you're apart, you fantasize about the next time you can see one another. True love and lust are easily confused because they are so much alike. 

If you share few other interests and have nothing in common other than an overwhelming physical desire for one another...it may be lust. 

If you have nothing of real value to say to one another and have difficulty relating to one another outside the sexual arena...it may be lust. 

If you don't particularly enjoy one another's company unless you're having sex...it may be lust. 

if your relationship is based on factors other than physical attraction and sex is not necessarily the number one priority...it may be love. 

Most long-term relationships are built on a strong friendship which turns into love over time. Having sex is not the driving force behind the relationship, but is a nice sideline to it. 

There really is such a thing as "love at first sight". It happens to many people and the relationship may last for the rest of their lives. 

A budding relationship based on lust feels much the same as one which is truly "love at first sight". So how do you tell the difference? 

Ask yourself the following questions. If you can honestly and sincerely answer "yes" to all or nearly all of the questions, it may be safe to assume what you feel for the other person is actually love and not merely lust. 

Keep in mind, these questions are quite general and are in no way a total and complete checklist. 

1. Do you share similar ethics, values, and morals? 
2. Do you find it easy to talk to one another and can you talk freely about almost anything? 
3. Do you enjoy the time you spend with one another, regardless of the activity? 
4. Do you enjoy even the most mundane activities when you are together, simply because you are together? 
5. Do you have a genuine concern for the happiness, safety, and well-being of the other person? 
6. Are you able to work out any differences you may have with this person to the satisfaction of both of you? 
7. When disagreements arise, are you able to discuss them openly and frankly without losing your temper? 
8. Do you find yourself longing for this person's presence in your life in terms other than a sexual relationship? In other words, do you feel a need simply to be with that person and spend time with them even without having sex? 
9. Can you laugh together and at one another, share jokes, and generally have fun together? 
10. Does spending time with this person make you feel good about yourself? 
11. Does this person give you a heightened sense of self-confidence and vitality? 
12. Can you look at this person even when they are at their worst in their physical appearance (such as when they are sick) and not feel repulsed? 
13. Do you share a strong mutual respect for one another? 
14. Are you willing and able to share both good times and bad with this person and work through life's ups and downs together as a team? 

If your long-term goal is to seek out a partner with whom you can build a solid, lifetime commitment, knowing the difference between lust and love is an essential and vital skill you'll want to master. 

Learning to accept a relationship for what it really is can mean the difference between a broken heart and a happy, fulfilling, lifetime of bliss with your partner.

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Planning your romantic evening

With a little forethought, anyone can create a romantic evening at home. The old cliché, "the way to a person's heart is through their stomach", has more than a little truth to it. Test it yourself with someone you care about. The least you'll get is a great home-cooked meal. 

You've decided to invite someone you're dating to your home for a romantic evening and you want everything to go well. Here are a few tips to help you achieve that result. 

There are a number of factors you need to consider when planning your romantic evening: 

1. Your Physical Surroundings 

It's a good idea to make sure your house or apartment is clean and tidy. It may not be anyone's primary focus but it will make an impression on your guest, even if it's subliminal. 

Spend a few hours doing the cleaning yourself, hire someone to do it for you, or, at the very least, shove all that clutter into your closets or under the bed. Wipe down surfaces to get rid of dust and stains. 

Apart from the living and dining areas, there are two other rooms that need your attention: 

a. The bathroom 

Wipe down the sink/washbasin, tub and shower stall. Put a fresh cake of soap on the sink and hang fresh towels. At the very least your guest will use the bathroom to wash his or her hands so make sure it's a pleasant experience. 

b. The bedroom 

Get rid of any extraneous clutter like clothes strewn around the room or on the floor. Change the sheets, make the bed and wipe down any surfaces. If your guest ends up spending the night, you don't want him or her racing off for a tetanus shot in the morning.
To create a romantic atmosphere in your bedroom, have some scented candles on hand and an easy-to-reach sound system. You might also consider buying a quilt cover in a rich, romantic color and a set of sheets to match. 

2. Your Choice Of Menu 

While food can be an excellent means of seduction, it's a mistake to choose too complicated a menu unless you're an experienced cook and you don't get easily flustered. 

Simple dishes like spaghetti or ratatouille make a tasty and satisfying meal without spiking your anxiety levels. The point is to enjoy the evening along with your guest, not treat the event like it's a university-entrance exam. 

How To Avoid Psycho-Chef Syndrome 

One trick is to prepare as much of the meal as possible beforehand so you're not rushing around like a pinball once your guest arrives. 

Have all the ingredients chopped, diced and ready for cooking. Do this the night before or earlier that day, whatever works best for you. 

Salad ingredients can be prepared earlier and stored in separate containers, then added to the salad bowl and dressed before serving.  

You can even cheat by purchasing your meal from a favorite restaurant and having it delivered (or picking it up) before your guest arrives. 

Definitely buy desert from your favorite bakery or supermarket, unless you're a wiz at whipping up a Pavlova or meringue. Another option is to prepare dessert the night before and reheat it if necessary when you're ready to serve it. 

3. Your Cooking Area 

Make sure your kitchen is clean before you begin cooking. Yes, you'll no doubt make a mess once you start but you don't want yesterday's dishes in the way. Your guest may offer to help so the kitchen needs to meet minimum health standards. 

It's up to you whether you accept this help or not, but we recommend that you do, even if it's only a token effort like tossing the salad. Sharing cooking tasks can be a wonderfully romantic interaction as it creates a special kind of intimacy. Have you ever noticed how much more easily conversation flows when two people are doing a task, as opposed to sitting face to face? 

4. Setting The Table 

Set the table beforehand. Use a good tablecloth, your best silverware and a nice set of plates. Use your best glasses and an attractive salt and pepper set, milk jug and sugar bowl. Show your guest that you went to some trouble to make the meal a special occasion. This is not the time for melamine dishes or chipped or mismatched crockery. You're aiming for a touch of class. 

Use candlesticks on the table for a romantic ambience, or place candles on other surfaces around the room. 

Background music is a must but make sure it's romantic and subtle. Limit blaring rock and roll or rap to the period when you're preparing dinner, but please, no high-octane music while you're eating. 

Set the sound at a low volume so it doesn't interfere with your conversation. And remember, if you don't play music during the meal you run the risk of filling any silences with the sound of people masticating. 

5. Cleaning Up Later 

Don't let your guest anywhere near the kitchen after the meal is over. Hopefully you'll have better things to do with your time together. 

But all is not lost if they do insist on helping with the chores. Many a couple has fallen in love while doing the dishes, for two main reasons: 

• As mentioned earlier, there's the ease of conversation that takes place when you're doing a task rather than concentrating on talking. 

• Doing dishes together is like playing house. It can actually feel very romantic, especially when one or both people realize, "This is what I want with this person." You won't get the same effect if you use a dishwasher, so set aside at least a couple of pots, which will you allow to suggest, "I'll wash and you dry."

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Where and when will this special someone appear?

Do you believe in fate? Personally I definitely do. But again, are we really going to be just sitting around doing nothing, waiting for fate to just come by? Well, I wouldn’t think so. If you are not going to help yourself, who is going to? Fate has always been around us. As long as we are in places where there are people, presence it may be. Many at times, it had actually been there but somehow we just didn’t realized and cherished it when it was there. Sad to know of it, isn’t it so?

Well, sometimes we were just too obsessed with our works, dreams and nevertheless too high an expectation that we missed to see it, to cherish that someone who was all along just beside us. It is only too late to realize it now, an opportunity won’t drop by twice. Your happiness lies in your own hand, don’t live your life a regret. I am sure you wanna have a life that is so full of fond memories than with tons of regrets, don’t you? Think about it.

One of the most commonly asked questions, What is Love? What is its exact definition? Well, there can never be a definite answer. Everyone got his or her own answer to it. To some it can be really simple while to others, it can get really complicated. But one definite thing that is for sure, everybody needs love.

It is a basic human need; we are not born into this world to be alone. It has always been our natural instinct as human to reach out to people, to be with and accepted by others. Consciously or subconsciously, everyone is searching and waiting for that special someone to appear in his or her life.

But where and when will this special someone appear? For all you may know, he or she could be just nearby or even just beside you. It all depends on fate a lot would say. Fate? Well fate is again, something that cannot be explained, something that is always so amazing. Think about it.

Among the millions and millions of people who could be out there, why is it that you had somehow met your friends to later become the best of friends? Got retrenched, feeling so terrible and disappointed but to later find your love among your new colleagues in your new job? Life has just suddenly become so beautiful?

Well, this is indeed a very true encounter of a friend of mine. Hmm… thinking about it, isn’t there also kind of a fate between you and me that you are actually reading this article right now? Everything is like all so miraculously arranged, having a reason behind every event that happened.

Let us just open up ourselves shall we? Everyday is a beautiful day, stop burying yourself with that tons of endless work. Make time for yourself, reach out, make more friends, make new friends, widen up your social circle, live a balanced healthy social life.

Make life enjoyable; you will see things in a more different way. You might be going, “Hmm… why is it that all this while, I have never noticed that she is actually such a pretty girl.” Well, in fact this is how true love comes about.

It doesn’t always have to be a love at first sight, to be attracted to his or her physical look. Sometimes it is through an initial friendship, enjoying the companion of one another that along time, you discover the beauty of his or her inner human qualities, unknowingly falling in love with the person. Wouldn’t this be a more beautiful and meaningful love than to a love at first sight?

Remember, love has always been a game ever awaiting your participation. Just as in life, it is a game of chance; if you never try you can never win.

Well if you did not find your love today, be disappointed do not. It is just like missing the last boat leaving the dock. There will always be another one to pick you up the next morning? And always will there be.

Now, another boat is getting ready to set off soon. To the land of great romance and opportunities it will sail. The question is, will you board it?

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