The cliche "life is a journey" is so common we don't even think about what it really entails; dear friend, a journey is not a journey until there's a defined/expected destination. So apart from consciousness, another proof of life is a sense of direction.

Just like life, there's this thing I'll call "the love journey". We are highly emotional beings and most of the alarm/trigger-points embedded in us are auto-wired, those palpitations of the heart you get when someone you really admire says 'hi', flashes a smile towards your direction or just does something you love, those feelings yeah? you're just "feeling" this person, you can't really explain it. It's a normal thing dear but wait, like a wise man once said and I rephrase "Thermometers measure heat but they're not heat, feelings are like that, they can be used to measure love but they're not love." (Leke Alder)

The journey of love is not blind, "falling in love" (FIL) might be blind but not the journey, in simple terms FIL is that state where most of our senses are switched off, including discernment. It's not a bad state, it actually happens to most(if not all) of us, the challenge is not falling-in-love, it is standing up and continuing the journey.

If you must embark on this journey of love, you must learn not to love people in parts, love and accept the whole package. What do I mean? Let's say you love someone because s(he) is really attractive, has the kinda charisma you like, sings/dances well, is funny etc but maybe s(he) doesn't share in your ideologies or lifestyle, lies a lot(you hate lies) and all, but you then try to keep up with this person only because of the parts you love; see, that's how we give ourselves headaches, setting ourselves up for troubles tomorrow, my dear you have to deal with it, live with it or let it go.

You can love someone for the looks( it's allowed) but don't stop there, accept the other terms in good faith too, the extra-oil narrative of the five virgins fits in here, they knew their lamps had oil but they had extra oil, that's not doubt, that's wisdom, always profitable to direct.

The construction engineers that built the freeway for this "love journey " deliberately made it a two-way-traffic system instead of one-way.

Giving and receiving in everything are important factors here, most times we talk about "Giving" more than "Receiving", both are equal in importance. Pride and maybe experience has dealt with some of us so badly that we can't gladly and sincerely receive things or love just like that, most times we're always analyzing, checking for motives (ulterior or otherwise) & unknowingly sending negative energy to the other sincere party, that spirit doesn't thrive well in this journey. On this road you don't give to equate whatever has been received, you give freely out of the abundance of your heart and receive gladly with love. You see, God is love so He GAVE His son and some of us are still struggling with the RECEIVING aspect (so here you see that giving is not the problem), meanwhile some that have received are TRYING to out-give or equate His giving ability, you can't, you just give Him your all with a sincere heart, that's enough.

The love journey is really an inexhaustible one but one more thing must be pointed out here, love is also a journey of vulnerability; trust, openness and respect are compulsory requirements. If you can't trust or you aren't trustworthy then I don't think you're ready for this yet, your weaknesses, strengths and all are laid bare for someone else to see always!!.

Remember, this journey is a deliberate one, try as much as you can to define what you're doing or about to do even if all things are not equal (they're never equal though).

Love is a beautiful thing, don't get it twisted. Always remember that the journey of love is longer than the letters, L. O. V. E!!

I love you!!

P. S: So love is in the air, I pray you don't get choked by it anyways, because it can't still take the place of oxygen!!