Disclaimer: I am obviously not an expert or a professional on love. Love is so complex, and it is constantly changing and evolving that I'm not quite sure such a person exists.

I can't promise that I'll give you life-changing advice or solve your relationship problems. In fact, no one can but yourself. And of course, the other person in your relationship.

Maybe my advice is super obvious and you already knew all this. Maybe this is your first time hearing about this perspective on love. Maybe you've never even really given much thought about this.

Nevertheless, I believe this is something that needs to be said.

If I asked people to define love, I would receive a variety of different responses. Some would include that it's a feeling or an emotion or even a just chemical formula. (Yes, love is actually a pretty intricate chemical formula!)

So, a slightly more specific question now: Is love a feeling or a choice?

The answer to that may be a little difficult. Typically, most people would want to say that it's a feeling. From a young age, we have all been taught that love is an emotion and it is something that a person feels. We grew up believing that love is a feeling that comes naturally and that it's black or white; either you know that you love someone or you don't.

But as life goes on, we began to realize that it's a little more complicated than that. It isn't just black or white, and there's actually a lot of gray areas.

The truth is that love isn't just a feeling. Love is a choice.

Love is a choice because relationships are never going to be perfect. There will be some days where you might look at your partner and get annoyed at their little habits. There will be some days where you both will get into arguments. And there will be some days where you and your partner just need to spend some time apart.

But that doesn't mean that you guys don't love each other anymore. You still do.

You still love your significant other because there will be days where you both go on adventures, explore the world, and have new experiences together. There will be days where you both stay in to cuddle, watch Netflix, and have a home-cooked meal. And there will be days where you fall in love with your partner all over again because of the way they laugh or the way they get passionate about their interests.

Regardless of whether it's a good day or a bad day, you guys still love each other. That is something that happens every day without a doubt.

Feelings are always changing, and they have a tendency to fade or vanish over time. But love is a conscious commitment, and it requires patience, dedication, and strength.

Let's be honest. None of us are easy to date.

We make mistakes. We have our flaws. We're bound to make our significant other upset and angry even when we don't intend to. You and your partner aren't going to agree on everything, and that's okay. In fact, some disagreement and disputes are healthy in relationships (to an extent). I don't really believe that the fight between couples is important; what matters is the aftermath. What do couples do after their fight? Do they work it out? How did they solve the situation?

If your partner loves you and you love them back, then you both will always find a way to make it work.

"Communication is key" is probably the most cliche thing that I could say right now, but it's so true! Your significant other isn't a mind reader, and they won't always know what you need or expect without you telling them. Open and honest communication is the first step to identifying the problem and then fixing it.

In my opinion, your soul mate is the person who will listen to you, come up with a solution, and will do whatever it takes to make the relationship stronger and better than before. You should feel the same way towards them. Think of it as like "I don't need to do this, but I'm going to do it anyway because I want to make my partner happy and I love them with every fiber of my being."

You have to want to be with each other through thick and thin.

In some ways, maybe love is a feeling, but it's also so much more than that. Love is a choice and the only way that relationships can last is if they are built on a solid and strong foundation. You need to find someone who choses you and is willing to make it work with you every single day because they love you for who you are. Relationships are a two-way street and this applies to both parties.

At the end of the day, you shouldn't settle for less. Don't be with someone that just makes your heart race or gives your butterflies in your stomach. Emotions are necessary, but they can be temporary, so make sure that you find someone who is committed to loving you and will be able to see the best in you even on your worst days.

Remember that love is a choice.

I hope that you find someone who matches your capacity to love and more.