“Life’s a journey where every day brings an advice worth keeping for a lifetime.” — me (I wrote this. Though I probably heard it somewhere, I just can’t remember where.)

I’m writing this because I’ve realized that the worst kind of pain comes from forcing yourself to hold onto something you’re trying too hard to love. After meeting so many different people, I’ve come to this conclusion: love isn’t rare. I can love anyone—not because of effort, not because of labels, and not because of some predetermined idea of who I’m supposed to love. I’ve let go of the belief that there’s “the One,” a soulmate I’m destined to love for the rest of my life. At least, not at this stage of my life.

Love is cheap. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. What I mean is: I can love anyone, freely and without restriction. At the same time, I can also unlove someone just as easily. I can detach myself from the emotional weight I once had for a person, but that doesn’t automatically mean I stop loving them. It just means that love, for me, is flexible—not a chain.

Some people might argue that my definition of love isn’t “real love.” But honestly, that only proves something deeper: none of us truly understand love well enough to define it for everyone else. If that’s the case, why should there be a universal standard for what love is or how it should be felt? People love in different ways anyway.

After my first breakup, I used to define love as something addicting—something both beautiful and dangerous. Beautiful because loving someone brings intense joy. Dangerous because once you lose it, the withdrawal is brutal. It wounds you in ways that change your mood, your motivation, and sometimes even who you are.

But as I’ve grown older, that definition shifted. Now, I see love as a simple, abundant currency—one I’m generous with. Having none would be devastating, yes. But being addicted to it, or shutting yourself off from it, can be just as damaging. And no, this isn’t coming from a place of bitterness. It’s not “oh, you just can’t find a girlfriend so you call everyone a friend.” No. This is a new way of seeing the world, and I’m genuinely happy with it.

Philia over Eros.

“Love” word count (including this one): 38