Love, in its most practical manifestation in this world, is an act. It is service.

Once, a guru was asked by his disciple, “What is the difference between liking and loving?” The guru did not answer with definitions. Instead, he pointed to a flower.

“If you like the flower,” he said, “you will pick it. You will smell it, enjoy it, and then discard it.”

Then he pointed to the same flower again and said, “But if you love the flower, you will protect it. You will water it, nurture it, and care for it. You will allow it to grow, to express its fragrance and its color, and to fulfill its purpose.”

In that simple image, the distinction becomes unmistakable. Liking takes. Love sustains. Liking is concerned with the experience it extracts; love is concerned with the life it supports.

So when you say you love someone, the real question is not how you feel. The real question is what you do. What are you doing to contribute to this person’s life? In what ways are you helping them grow, expand, and step into their fullest expression?

And when that person loves you in the same way, when both are committed to nurturing, then the relationship changes in nature. It is no longer based on need or convenience, but on mutual elevation.

That is what real love is. It is not something you feel for a moment. It is not something you declare. It is not something you possess. It is something you practice, consistently, in the way you show up for another human being.