Throughout human history, there have been many examples of love icons who have had exceptional pure romances that have inspired romantic couples for many years.  Love icons are couples whose amazing romances shaped the concept of love and whose relationships often survived horrible challenges and hardships.  Indeed, many love icons—such as fictional icons Romeo and Juliet—never survived their romance at all!

So, who are your favorite love icons?  Sometimes it’s helpful to look to the best love icons to find inspiration for your own romantic relationship.  While many of our romances may never make it into the love books, we can still find ideas and encouragement from learning about love icons from the past and how they romanced each other.  Whether your love icons are Romeo and Juliet or perhaps a more contemporary example, there is nothing wrong with finding inspiration for love from other sources.

But before you think that you need to look to famous love icons in order to add something special to your romantic relationship, don’t underestimate your own ingenuity when it comes to improving things in your own life.  The imaginative and dedicated lover doesn’t really need help from love icons to improve your relationship, and there is plenty of inspiration in your own everyday life to add something special into the mix.

When you really think about it, the greatest love icons in your life should really be you and your lover!  It may seem silly to suggest that your romance is the greatest in the world, but there is no other relationship that you can understand and dissect in greater detail than your own.  No matter how much you research and learn about your favorite love icons, you’ll never understand them as deeply and fully as you can understand the dynamics of your own romantic relationship.

So remember that there is nothing wrong with looking to famous love icons from other romantic times for inspiration in your love life, but always be careful not to put too much stock into other people’s relationships.  Instead of studying the romance of world-famous love icons, it is better to take the time and effort to study the dynamics of your own romantic relationship . . . and you’ll be more likely to become a true love icon to your own sweetheart in the process!

In a society that where divorce and cheating partners are becoming more and more common, the idea of a romantic extramarital love affair has been somewhat glamorized by our culture and media.  Some husbands, wives, boyfriends or girlfriends who are dissatisfied with their partners may begin to feel that an romantic love affair is somehow needed or justified.  But make no mistake about it: there is nothing romantic, necessary or healthy about any kind of affair, and rarely is there any kind of “love” involved in cheating on your significant other. 

The myth of a “romantic” extramarital affair has been created by many years of books, movies and other forms of media that make people think the solution to their relationship problems lies in cheating on their spouse or partner . . . but there is no real romance involved in an affair.  A truly romantic person doesn’t cheat on their spouse or sweetheart just because they’ve become bored with their love life or they have hit a rocky spot in their relationship.  Cheating is wrong, pure and simple, and an extramarital love affair is not appropriate or admirable under any circumstances.

A true old-fashioned romantic person, if they are facing insurmountable relationship problems or if they have fallen in love with another person, will end their relationship before persuing another one.  Lying to your significant other and starting an affair behind their back is cowardly, sneaky, unromantic and indefensible.  It is better to tell your sweetheart that you wish to end things and do it the honorable way before rushing into another person’s arms and having an affair.  

Regardless of how much you think you love this new person in your life or how romantic your feelings for them are, there is nothing at all romantic about an extramarital affair.  Whether you are married or just dating, by being part of a romantic relationship you have given your word to your sweetheart to always be faithful to them as long as your relationship remains in tact.  By breaking that oath—spoken or unspoken—you have plenty to be ashamed of.  It doesn’t matter how bad things are at home . . . you owe it to yourself and your partner to end your relationship before cheating or persuing a love affair.

And remember: there are different types of cheating and affairs, too.  There is physical cheating and physical love affairs, and there is emotional cheating and emotional love affairs.  A physical affair involves exactly what you think it does, but an emotional affair is much more common . . . yet much less talked about.  An emotional affair is when you share confidences, secrets, and feelings with another person that should only be shared with your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend.  For an unsuspecting and faithful partner, these kind of affairs can be just as devestating and heartbreaking, make no mistake about it!

So before you embark on an extramarital love affair that you might regret, remember that there is nothing at all romantic about an affair or cheating on your spouse or lover.  If you really do consider yourself a romantic person, do the honorable and right thing and break things off with your significant other before starting another relationship, whether physical or emotional.   

Okay, let’s get through the bad news first: most long distance relationships just don’t end up working out.  But just because the majority of long distance romances end in failure doesn’t mean your long distance relationship has to, so start thinking optimistically and listen to some advice and tips on making your long distance romance work.

First of all, it’s impossible not to recognize the fact that long distance relationships were much more successful in the past, and that a long distance romance’s chances of success have suffered in our modern society.  There are lots of examples of lovers who were forced to leave their partners in past wars for long periods of time, and the majority of those long distance relationships did succeed.  World War I, World War II, etcetera . . . some of those marriages were split apart for three or four years, and all they had to keep in touch were sporadic romantic letters.

But wait a second . . . with modern technology, keeping in touch with your sweetheart is even easier, so should long distance relationships be more successful nowadays?  Well sure, they should be, but the fact of the matter is that long distance romances are much more fragile today.  You can blame it on a more impersonal, hook-up culture or society if you want, but long distance romances are much more difficult to maintain in our modern world.

That’s not to say that your long distance relationship is doomed to failure, though.  First of all, what is the reason why you have to go away from your lover and have a long distance romance?  Is it out of necessity, for instance a long business trip or perhaps a military deployment?  And also, how serious are you with that special someone?  Have you dated or been married for years, or are you undertaking a long distance relationship without really having spent much time with them in the first place?

Obviously, a relationship that is already strong and made up of two dedicated partners is much more likely to survive a long distance relationship than one that is shallower and less romantic.  If you have plenty of early warning that you will have to start a long distance romance, use the time you have together to discuss what that will mean to your situation and how you will work to make sure you remain committed to each other and in love.

In fact, even if you don’t suspect that you will ever have to spend long periods of time away from your lover, it’s a good exercise to ask yourself how you think you would handle a long distance relationship and whether your romance would be strong enough to endure it.  Time alone is important to every individual, no matter how much they enjoy their relationship with that special someone.  It might be a good idea to practice spending an afternoon or even a few days away from each other—for a business trip or to visit family members—to reassure yourself that your relationship is healthy enough to endure a long distance situation.

In the end, the old saying about absence making the heart grow fonder is true—to a certain degree.  If you and your sweetheart share true romance, then a long distance relationship shouldn’t pose any threat to your future happiness (as long as the absence isn’t too extensive).  If, on the other hand, you and your lover lack romance and trust in your relationship, you may want to focus on building a healthier relationship before it’s time for you to hit the road.

We’ve all seen or read stories about young love, where lovers in their late teens or early twenties experience romance so powerful that it blinds them to the rest of the world.  The sometimes reckless abandon of young love is well known, as is evident in the many warnings from more experienced elders to young lovers who are just discovering the world of romance.

So, is young love more powerful than romance shared between older, more experienced couples?  Well, of course not.  But young love can sometimes seem to be more intoxicating because of a lack of perspective and experience that is common to youth.

When couples experience young love for the first time, it is often difficult for them to pay adequate attention to other areas of their lives and listen to the advice of others.  Young love can end up destroying itself because young lovers don’t tend to other relationships that are equally vital to their lives.

In a way, though, the heartache and mistakes of young love are necessary to teach us to become better, more complete lovers later in life.  The errors we make when experiencing young love, however embarrassing or hurtful, teach us lessons about how to nurture a lasting, patient relationship.

And make no mistake about it: patience is a very necessary requirement in a long-lasting romantic relationship.  Young love often lacks patience because young lovers tend to be impulsive and obsessed with immediate gratification.  Young love frequently dies on the vine, although there are some notable exceptions.

So, is young love more powerful?  In a way yes, because it can be more overwhelming for young lovers.  But a more mature, patient love is certainly more rewarding, if not as intense as young love.  Young love is good to reminisce about and learn from, but be thankful as your romantic tastes mature.

Is there any good aspect of young love that older lovers can add to their romance? Absolutely!  The giddiness, the carefree optimism, the feeling of discovering a new world of romance; all of these are aspects of young love that you can apply to your relationship.  Just be sure to avoid the pitfalls that often doom young love to failure: ignoring other aspects of your life, being overly jealous, and impatience.

A romantic couple can experience many different types of love, but “Runaway Love” is probably the most sought after kind of romance . . . and one of the most dangerous and difficult to achieve.

So, what is Runaway Love? Simply put, Runaway Love is the type of romance that completely overpowers a person and makes everything else in life seem completely unimportant in comparison. Runaway Love makes a person feel as though their romance gives them the ability to run away from all other cares and worries in their life. When you experience Runaway Love, your romantic relationship becomes the single most important aspect of your existence.

First of all, why is Runaway Love difficult to find? Mainly because most people are too pragmatic to make a romantic relationship more important than anything else in their life. Sure, many people may say that their lover is the most important thing to them, but if it came down to choosing between their romance or their children, for example, the vast majority of lovers would chose their children.

This type of pragmatic romance is not Runaway Love, and there’s nothing wrong with putting certain important things in your life before your romantic relationship. For most people, family and other aspects are more important than their romance could ever be, and Runaway Love is not an appealing option for them.

The person who experiences real Runaway Love, however, completely downgrades the importance of other relationships in their life in order to dedicate their entire existence to their romance. Most pragmatic people can see why Runaway Love is an unrealistic and dangerous thing to experiment with. While Runaway Love can be overwhelming and seemingly indestructible, by burning bridges with other people in your life you could be condemning yourself to a miserable future if things go south.

So, is it possible to experience a pragmatic type of Runaway Love in which your romance is of high priority in your life . . . but you still give the necessary attention to other relationships in your life? Well, sure, but it takes plenty of dedication and work, like anything else in your relationship.

Rather than abandoning yourself completely to Runaway Love and ignoring other important areas of your life, tel your sweetheart that your romance is a crucial part of your life . . . but that there are other important things in your life that you can’t ignore. By ensuring that you don’t let your romance affect the relationship you have with other important parts of your life, you can experience the benefits of Runaway Love without letting it destroy the rest of your life.

There’s nothing wrong with jumping into Runaway Love . . . but make sure you you’re tethered securely to the rest of your relationships first!

So, do you and your sweetheart have your own love song that you both enjoy and that helps define your relationship? Not all couples have a love song, and it’s not a necessary ingredient for any successful relationship. But many people in a romantic relationship do share a special love song that has some special meaning to them, and sharing romantic music can help facilitate romance in your relationship, too.

Surprisingly, not all love songs that couples share are of the sappy, romantic type . . . and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! While many couples define their special love song as one that’s slow and emotional, there are plenty of others whose love song is fun, or upbeat, or even goofy. Whether it’s classical, country, hip-hop or rock-and-roll, your love song only needs to have one characteristic: music that has helped define a special time in your relationship.

Perhaps your love song was the music playing in the background when you shared your first kiss, or the song that was on the radio when you asked your wife to marry you. Your love song could even be the theme music to a movie or television show that you and your lover both enjoy watching together.

The point is that it doesn’t matter what your own personal love song is, as long as it is something you both like and something that stirs good memories and emotions in both of you. And regardless of what your love song is, it will be the most romantic love song in the world because of one important reason: it’s the love song you and your sweetheart share!

So, do you and your lover have your own special romantic love song yet? If not, it’s time to define one! Tell your sweetheart that you’d love it if your relationship could have its own “theme song” and have some fun laughing at different ideas for what your love song might be. It will be a fun exercise that will let you and your significant other laugh together, share ideas, and interact. And most importantly, it will allow your relationship to have its own special love song that you and your sweetheart will share forever!

For the romantic person, finding true love is the ultimate dream and a goal that they may spend their entire life trying to reach.  Much like the topic of pure romance, there are plenty of romantic skeptics out there who just don’t believe that true love exists.  Sure, for those of us who have already found true love, the evidence seems undeniable.  But if you haven’t yet found your perfect someone, true love may seem like an unreachable romantic dream.

Well cheer up, because true love really does exist . . . and with patience and persistence, you can find it!  Here on Romance Tracker, we’ve talked before about how real romance is subtle, not flashy or flamboyant . . . and the same goes for true love. If you’re not in a loving relationship, it may be difficult to recognize the influence of true love all around you.  But once you find true love, a whole new world of romance and excitment will be revealed.  In fact, once you’ve found it, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t noticed how prevalent and powerful true love really is!    

True love is not something that you can cause to happen, and sometimes it takes many years before you find that perfect sweetheart to share your hopes, dreams and life with.  Love at first sight is real and can happen to you, but make sure you take the time to ensure that what you feel really is love and not just infatuation.  You see, true love may be out there, but people who are new to romance may mistake other feelings for true love.  The best advice is to take your time and be wary of rushing into anything.

If you’ve found someone who you think might be that perfect person and you’re wondering if you’ve finally discovered true love, you owe it to yourself and your new lover to practice patience in allowing your relationship to grow.  After all, if it really is true love, then waiting a little while to let it develop won’t doom your romance to failure.  True love is nothing if not resilient, and you’ll be glad that you took the time to let your romance blossom slowly rather than rushing things.

So, is true love real?  Of course it is!  And true love is something you can find, regardless of who you are, where you find yourself, or what you’ve experienced.  Far too often, people allow themselves to become skeptical of romance just because they don’t find true love fast enough.  Believe me: true love is worth the wait!  Keep practicing patience, keep surrounding yourself with a romantic environment, and remain optimistic . . . and true love will find you! 

So, is there really such a thing as a love calculator that can tell you the name or type of your perfect boyfriend, girlfriend wife or husband?  While there are plenty of personality and love tests that claim to uncover the secrets of finding your special someone, there is only one infallible love calculator out there.  And that love calculator . . . is you!

It’s the truth!  No matter how long and in-depth any matchmaking test you might find online claims to be, there’s no such thing as a perfect love calculator that can tell you the name and location of your one true love.  Remember, the only real expert when it comes to finding your perfect match is you.  You’ll have a much easier time at finding true romance when you start trusting the love calculator that came built inside of you.

So, how do you use your own built-in love calculator to find that perfect match?  Well, first of all, start listening to your love calculator when it comes to where you should be looking for your future sweetheart.  If you’re the type of person who enjoys sports, then sporting events might be the place to start.  If you enjoy museums, then museums would be your best bet.

But don’t ever make yourself frequent places to find your special someone just because other people have told you that’s what you need to do.  Your love calculator knows where you should go to meet a person with your interests, so don’t ignore it!  If you enjoy bars and clubs and want to meet a love interest who enjoys the same, then by all means frequent those types of places. But if you don’t enjoy that type of scene, you shouldn’t feel bad about not wanting to hang out in those types of places.

Your own internal love calculator may not be able to tell you exactly where to find that perfect person and what time to meet them there, but if you really listen, it can tell you what actions you need to take in your life to make romance more likely.  When it comes to love calculators, things like your birth sign and favorite numbers have little to do with meeting the perfect person. 

What’s more important to your specific internal love calculator—and more important to your future romantic relationship—is doing the things that you enjoy and going to the places you like to be.  Just follow that simple rule, and your love calculator will lead you to romance!

The concept of “pure romance,” or perfect, unblemished love between a romantic couple that can conquer all obstacles, can be seen in countless films, books, and works of art.  There are few forces in human tradition that are as influential as pure romance, and innumerable wives, husbands, boyfriends and girlfriends strive to infuse their marriages and relationships with the power of perfect love.

But is pure romance real, or does it exist as only as a concept in movies and books?  Can any of us really have a romance that is perfect, free from any flaws, and powerful enough to overcome any challenges we might face in the course of a relationship?

It isn’t a profound statement to say that we are all human, and no relationship we enter into or project we start will ever be perfect.  We all have flaws and problems in our lives, and they will inevitably cause strains and difficulties in our interactions with that special someone.  In many ways, pure romance—although it is touted and venerated in poetry and prose—is an unreachable goal for modern couples.

But that certainly doesn’t mean that you and your sweetheart shouldn’t strive for pure romance in your relationship!  Just like any undertaking you will commit to in your life, there is no such thing as a perfect relationship.  But just because it doesn’t exist is no reason not to make pure romance your goal.

When we “shoot for the moon” in all things we do, we almost always come up short; but insisting on at least attempting perfection, even in our romantic relationships, will always allow you to progress further than if you settled for mediocrity.  Just remember one important rule: insisting upon perfection, and getting upset when you don’t get it, is a fast road to breakup or divorce. 

Instead, make pure romance and a perfect relationship the models you strive for, but accept inevitable problems that come along as a necessary part of any relationship.  Pure romance should be the moon that you and your lover always shoot for . . . but remember that it’s the journey—with all its challenges and difficulties—that truly makes a romance great.   

If you haven’t experienced it for yourself, you probably don’t believe that Love at First Sight is real.  There are plenty of skeptics who chalk it all up to lust or infatuation and refuse to believe that you can really fall in love with someone the first moment you see them.

Throughout human history, however, the concept of Love at First Sight has been lauded in countless stories, plays, books, films and oral traditions.  Poets and romantics regard Love at First Sight as an unquestionable truth, and millions of lonely people around the world pray every day that it will happen to them.

So, how do you know if you’ve experienced Love at First Sight?  Well, if you have to ask, you probably haven’t.  But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know the signs so you’re better prepared in case it does happen to you. 

The following are three undeniable ways to know you’ve experienced Love at First Sight, and that your feelings for this new person in your life may be more than just simple infatuation.  And before you roll your eyes and underestimate the power of romance, be careful . . . Love at First Sight can happen to skeptics, too!

Top Three Ways to Know it’s Love at First Sight

1. You don’t want to rush things

This is an unmistakable indication that the feelings you have aren’t just “Lust at First Sight.”  If the first thought in your mind is getting physical, then it probably isn’t love.  But if you have an overwhelming urge to get to know the person and take things slowly so they work out, you may be dealing with something much deeper.

2. You see things in them that other people don’t

A person’s attractive physical qualities are something that anyone can see and appreciate, but falling in love with someone means noticing qualities in them that no one else can see.  If you find yourself noticing attractive qualities of a new person that your friends are blind to, you may be experiencing Love at First Sight.

3.  You want to learn everything you can about them

This is a tricky indicator, because it’s also present in pure infatuation, too . . . so be careful.  But if the two previous indicators are present, then this one makes it undoubtable that you’ve experienced Love at First Sight.

Falling in love with someone means wanting to know about everything that makes them tick, from their likes and dislikes to their life experiences.  Just be willing to learn about them slowly, be understanding, and let Love at First Sight develop into a lifelong romance!