#1. They're In Your Thoughts - A Lot

Sure, when you're interested in someone, or very much attracted to them, they'll be on your mind, and they'll probably even be on your mind quite a bit. When you're falling in love with someone though, they'll tend to be on your mind a lot more, to a degree that definitely stands out as being different from the norm. The content of your thoughts will say a lot about the depth of your feelings, and when someone is on your mind during every free moment of thought you have, and then some, that's a pretty good indicator that you're falling in love. Love is a highly inexplicable thing, but our hearts tend to take over our minds, when we're having deep feelings of love toward someone. When someone is on your mind to the point where they're the first thing you think about when you wake up, and the last thing you think about before you go to sleep at night, chances are pretty good that you're in love.

#2. You Wish They Were With You

This may seem like an obvious thought that a person in love might have, and that's true. I'm going to take things a step further here though, and be a bit more specific. Of course when we care about people, we want them to be around us, and we want to be around them. When you're in love though, that takes on a a more direct meaning in your day-to-day life. You might be doing something as simple as eating breakfast, as you do each day without much of a thought, and you find yourself wishing that they were there with you. You could be on a vacation that you've had planned with friends or even on your own, and find yourself wishing that you could share the experience with them. You may receive a promotion or other great news, and wish that they were there to share the moment with you. Likewise, when you are going through a difficult time in your life, you may also wish that they were there with you, to comfort you. They're the first person you think of, when you need someone. This is an obvious sign of being in love, that you'll definitely want to pay attention to.

#3. You're Often Talking About Them

When you're out with your friends, family members, or even work colleagues, and you find yourself talking about this person, or finding random ways to keep bringing them up in conversation, there's a good chance that you're falling in love there's a good chance that you're falling in love. Of course, we're all different, and falling in love isn't a textbook occurrence in everyone's life. We all fall in love in different ways, and for different reasons, because we're all different. When you've got someone on your mind enough, to the point where you're bringing them up frequently, using experiences you've had with them during your recent time spent together as comparative elements to any current conversation you may be having, you've surely been bitten by the love bug. We don't tend to frequently bring up people who aren't a fixture on our minds, when we're not thinking about them. This is definitely one of the biggest, most obvious indicators of being in love. Then next time you're having a conversation with friends, family or whoever, and they point out to you that you've been bringing up 'so and so' throughout the entire conversation, take a minute to pause and reflect on that, because if you haven't already considered it, there's a very good chance that you might be in love with this person, or at least that you're in the process of falling in love with them.

#4. You Start To Do Things Differently

This may sound broad, but it actually is a broad statement, that encompasses a lot of different actions and behaviors, that are likely to be out of the norm for us. When you're watching a sappy movie that happened to be on television, and you wouldn't normally be overly affected emotionally by the content, but now you've got tears in your eyes, and they're all you can think about, you're probably in love. If you have a constant urge to include them in activities that you would otherwise do alone, or with friends, that's definitely a sign that something is different with you, and that you're feelings for this person are starting to change your habits. If you're out and about, and you happen to pick up a snack for yourself, and you grab one for them without being asked...or you're out grocery shopping, and you pick up things that you wouldn't normally purchase, because you know that they like them, then you are definitely doing things differently, and chances are pretty great, that it's because you're in love. Love tends to show itself in the simplest things that we do for others, and when we're considering what they want, alongside what we want, that is a surefire way to identify being in love.

#5. You're Thinking About The Future

Well, sure, we all do this anyway, but when we fall in love, that future we're used to picturing starts to look a lot different than it did before the object of our love came into the picture. Maybe the future used to consist of your looking forward to taking the next trip you're planning to save up for, or a new class that you're going to take, or those lessons that you're finally going to get around to enrolling in. So now, you're thinking about what it might be like for them to be along on your trip with you, and all of the fun you could have together, or you're wondering what they think of the class you're taking, or you're thinking about how incredibly fun it would be, if they would sign up for that dance class with you. The truth is, when we fall in love, we do start to look at things differently, and we do start to think about things in a different context than we previously have been. That's a part of the fun, though, and let's be honest, falling in love is definitely a lot of fun.

When you're starting to have some strong experiences with these types of feelings, and you know that you're looking at things differently than you ever have before, nothing beats getting the right relationship advice. Be careful from whom you get your advice, because we're all a little bit tainted by our present circumstances, so that can tend to influence the kind of advice that we give to others, and when we're going through different experiences, and we're asked for advice, we may not really have the best relationship advice to give at that time. The best thing to do seek out people who you know you can trust. Ideally, these people won't be going through a bitter break-up, or be in a place where they have sworn off dating for the rest of the decade. Those people, while surely they do care about you, are not likely to be in a place to give you the best advice. Choose those who you trust to be honest with you, under any circumstances, and are capable of seeing beyond their own circumstances. Also, if you don't really feel that your current list consists of anyone that you're comfortable turning to, then that's okay, too. There are a lot of advice articles out there that you can refer to, and use to help you connect the dots, where your own feelings are concerned.

It's very important to allow yourself to realize that, if you're thinking about the future, and it now includes this person, then you need to let yourself be open to it. Maybe you've never given much thought to the idea of marriage, or a family, or a lot of other things, because you've simply never met anyone who inspired you to think about these things. When you do get to a point where you're thinking about them, don't panic, just be honest with yourself, and be open to the feeling, and what it means to you. There are lots of different ways that we can love people, but perhaps the most telltale sign of being in love, is looking at life in ways that you've never looked at it before, and considering things that you've never previously considered. This can be a scary feeling, but you owe it to yourself to go with it, and explore it. It could turn out to be the very best thing that's ever happened to you - and the person you've been spending time with, as well. Love is scary, but when you're in love, it's important to be brave about it, and not let fear be a factor in how you go about things. Fear is the enemy of love.

So...Things Are Different Now

Yes, they are...and that is not only a good thing, it's a great thing! Why not? Once you've come to realize that how you feel for this person has changed the way you function in your everyday life, you will surely know that things are different, and the next step, is for you to allow your story to unfold. Most people who are being honest with themselves, and with you, will surely tell you that falling in love is one of our purposes for being here, and that it's an experience which is meant to be relished. The best relationship advice that you're likely to receive, will be advice that tells you to pursue your loving feelings, don't take these feelings, or the object of your love for granted, and enjoy living out your very own love story.

When Fear Rears Its Head

This is one of the most common things that happens when we fall in love, because let's be honest, falling in love does include an element of fear. That is actually normal, and it's nothing to get worked up about - but it does need to be addressed. Fear has destroyed more promising relationships than could ever be counted, and when we talk about living out your love story, this is not the way you are going to want to do it. This is one time in your life, where it is incredibly important to face your fear, and not let it get the better of you. No one wants to get hurt, of course, but at the same time, no one wants to miss out on something that could be the best thing that's ever happened to them in their lives, because they are afraid. Acknowledge this fear when it comes up, but unless you have a concrete reason to believe that you should be afraid, then you need to leave that fear at the door, as you approach your new, loving relationship.