People nowadays use the words "I love you" as much as "OK" or "yeah." It flows out of people's mouths too easily when it is actually supposed to mean something. It's almost as if the 21st century has forgotten that saying "I love you" to your boyfriend or girlfriend, to your mom and dad and even to your friends is supposed to be used in a way that makes an emotional connection with someone—to tell someone how much you mean to them. It's the most common phrase we humans know of, and it's almost as if we take it for granted to even have words like that—so strong and powerful. We get so caught up in our daily lives with our work, going to school, our troubles and hanging out and texting our friends that we forget to remind someone how special they are in our lives and how much we appreciate their presence. And yes, we love to be loved and I believe it is has the power to make us better individuals, but sometimes it isn't always enough. Well, maybe there's something that impresses us more than just "I love you." There are phrases that should be valued far more than they are. Although our actions have a greater impact than our words, sometimes people need to be verbally reminded that they are wanted, perhaps even you.

1. "I understand you."

These words are so comforting to hear and it reassures us that we have a support system—that someone actually acknowledges how we feel. This makes us feel like we will have someone who will lift us back up when we fall. The next time you're in a situation where you don't know what to tell someone because you're not good with advice or you just feel awkward when someone is crying in front of you, let them know you acknowledge how their feeling.

2. "I respect you."

We hardly ever hear this coming from someone. But letting someone know that you respect their decisions and consider their feelings really motivates them to be themselves around you. Allowing someone to know that their beliefs, their wishes, and their desires matter to you in the same way it matters to them puts a person in the position where they want to open up to you.

3. "I forgive you."

"I know neither of us are perfect but I forgive you the way I hope you would forgive me." Letting someone know that you forgive them is accepting their mistakes. It's moving forward from a time when that person may have not even known that you were upset at them. It's forgiving someone for something they said when they were having a bad day that may have hurt you. It's realizing that it's OK that that person did not know what you expected them to know. We put our pride before we ever let someone know that we forgive them, but sometimes closure and acknowledgement is all we really need.

4. "I will make sacrifices for you."

When you are weak and sick, I'll go out of my way and take care of you. When you have a flat tire and you're stuck on the road, I'll make the trip to rescue you. When you just broke up with your boyfriend and it's 3 a.m., I'll bring over some ice cream and movies and I'll wipe your tears. When you stay up late because your baby keeps crying, I'll stay up with you. These are reminders that you are willing to sacrifice your time for someone, not just because of their physical and mental state or the circumstance, but because they are a blessing in your life.

5. "I thought of you today."

Seriously... How good does it feel to hear these words? All throughout a person's busy day, you popped into their head. Like "Really, me?" We tend not to tell someone we thought of them because we either feel embarrassed that we thinking about them when they were probably not thinking about us or because we would rather not put our thoughts and feelings out in the open. But it's OK to put yourself out there to someone. It builds a level of trust and a special bond.

These phrases are just as important to someone as a declaration of love. We should hear them more often from the people we are close with.