The Risks and Rewards of Love: Is It Worth It? (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781647198022)

Today's world as it is now loves instant gratification. We love when things are easy, fun, and exciting. That often leads us to forgetting that there is this thing called reality. The reality of life and love is that things are not always easy, fun, and exciting in relationships.

There is something about the era of social media that has caused people to gravitate toward instant gratification; we marvel in things that sparkle all the time and are exhilarating.

The idea of living in a state of continual excitement and passion is what many long to experience. But the magnitude of relationships leads us to the peak of mountains and the depth of valleys. These occurrences are real to love and allow us to ride the highs and lows of a partnership, all while giving the true understanding that not every day will be fireworks.

Love really is supreme; it truly rules. The one thing that you cannot deny is the ecstasy that can fill the air when two lovers are together. It becomes pretty apparent to the individuals involved in a relationship that there is nothing in the world that compares to the feeling you get when you look into the eyes of the person that you have discovered to be your soulmate. There is no better feeling than the extraordinary joy at that time and moment.

Love is so unpredictable. There seems to be a fire in your heart that at times can be dangerous, because love can make people feel out of control. Many people are confused with the difference between love and lust. Lust is a very strong craving for sexual gratification. Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection, a great interest and pleasure in something or someone. Love changes your brain chemistry.

Love promotes emotional and mental wellbeing. Many studies have shown that a healthy and supportive relationship like romantic engagements, friendship, and family can be linked to higher self-esteem, improved self-confidence, and increased sense of worth. Love, no matter what form it comes in, helps people incorporate safer behaviors into their everyday lives, reduces anxiety and worries, and lowers the chance of developing depression or other forms of mental illness.

There could be a number of reasons why people love the way they do. Like anything else, we learn from doing and experiencing. If someone comes from a loving and caring home, these behaviors are what they are programmed to feel is normal. If an individual comes from a dysfunctional home, he or she is prone to believe those behaviors they have witnessed are acceptable. I believe this is why couples whose parents have been in a long marriage work so hard to make their marriage work. And it is commonly said that people from broken homes end up in broken relationships. But I do not believe this is true. I have seen many long-lasting relationships of couples who have come from broken homes.

The act of love doesn't cause broken relationships, but it is the actions of individuals, their character, self-discipline, and other behaviors that determine the success or failure of relationships.