Being in love is one of the best things that can happen to you. When you are in love, you simply feel it. The feeling of love is so very powerful that it just cannot be defined in words. You will certainly feel on top of the world, when you are in love. But there are times when you are not quite sure of yourself and ask Am I in Love? It could be infatuation or just a physical attraction. But there is one thing that keeps telling you that this is one and the only person with whom you wish to spend the rest of your life. This is the person with whom you want to share all of your feelings, be it happiness, grief or even the most embarrassing moments of your life.
When you feel all of the above, you will certainly find the answer to you question - Am I in Love? Many fall in love, some fall in love at first sight while others fall in love with the passage of time. Once you are in love, you will become even more passionate about your life. Love and romance are strong words, which have stronger influences on us. Right from roses to candles, every item that represents love will sway you.
The mere presence of your soul mate will make your feel good about yourself. You will find that the happiness that you derive by being with your partner is too good to be true. You will blush and you will sing, you will do everything on earth to bring a smile on the face of your lover. If you do all of these, you must ask yourself the biggest question of all - Am I in Love? The answer surely lies within you.
All the people who are in love must have gone through a similar situation. Each one of them must have asked themselves - Am I in Love? If you ever have to face this question, make sure that you listen to your heart. Your heart never lies, it tells you the truth. It will tell you, who is the person, you want to be with.
- Cheap Deal
The worst and most common turn off is, being cheap. Not that one expects a Mercedes pick-up service and expensive champagne on first date. But at least show some courtesy and go to a place that offers decent food, wine and catering. Avoid going to fast food joints as you will be treating your date to cheap as well as junk food.
- My Ex was…
Please avoid talking about your ex. There is a good reason why they are called your ex! No one wants to hear you bitch about how bad your ex was, how tortured you were, why you broke up, etc., on the first date. Chances are they may think you talk ill of others behind their backs and might do it behind their backs too.
- I am So Good!
Yes, you have a great physique, Greek God looks, are the best basketball player at college, or get appreciated by your boss every second day at work. Your date, however, is not interested in knowing all this! Stop bragging and boasting about yourself. Agreed, you want to make a good impression but you do that without unnecessary frills. Be yourself; if you keep telling him/her this, you will come across as someone trying too hard.
- Steal the Limelight
This one is for all the guys. It is the lady who wants to look special and the center of attraction, not you. Let her do the talking and make sure you compliment her. Listen to what she says and respond and you are on your way to earning brownie points and a second date.
- Meet my Gang
Sure, you would love to show off your date to your friends but please don’t do that on the first date. Inviting your friends over for a date that is supposed to be special is just about the most ridiculous thing you could do and puts him/her in a very uncomfortable situation. If you have plans to go out with them also, plan it after the date and don’t rush the date just because of that.
- It’s All About…
A very interesting topic otherwise, avoid talking about any kind of physical intimacy altogether on the first date. You might just come across a desperate psycho, looking for sexual gratification than a calm and relaxed date.
- The Rude Side
Another mistake to avoid is being rude with the staff or the servers, or even gawking at other girls or guys. You are not only being rude to your date but also sending wrong signals of being non-serious.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.