I will never lose sight of the power of love. Nor will I ever forsake the gift of expression. That’s why I get excited when it’s time to unveil another segment of Love Quotables. In each installment, I get to honor those who also believe in the sacredness of self-expression, and who prove as much by pouring their heart out through their words. Join me in celebrating their thoughts, with the understanding in mind, that you also have a similar gift locked inside of you. Enjoy.
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**The Love Quotables

Sometimes the heart sees what’s invisible to the eye.
~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom.
~Charles Dickens

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale.
~Author unknown

Those who are faithless know the pleasure of love; but it is those who are faithful who know love’s tragedies.
~Oscar Wilde

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
~Henry David Thoreau

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.
~Leo Tolstoy

The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can never end.
~Benjamin Disraeli

You asked me the other day what I wanted in a woman, and I didn’t have an answer at the time. But it wasn’t like I was completely out of touch with my feelings … I just wanted to take some time to really grapple with the idea of what my perfect woman would look like.

The more I thought about it though, the more it became clear that there was no need to fantasize about a perfect woman … not when I’ve already found her. When I look at you, I realize that perfection has been in front of me all this time. Because even though you have shortcomings like we all do, I still find myself being just as crazy about those flaws, quirks and idiosyncrasies as I am about your many strengths.

Like the way you talk REALLY loud when you’re excited or telling a joke…

Or…

The way your jokes are never quite as funny as you hype them up to be…

The way you cry anytime we have a disagreement…

The way we’re late every time we go somewhere because you take so long to get ready…

And the way you hold back your feelings, because you’ve never met a man who sincerely had your best interests at heart…

I could keep going—but not in a bad way. You just fascinate me … so much so that I pay attention to every detail and strive to discover something new about you each and every day. And while those small details complete you, they pale in comparison to the real reasons that I care.

You constantly bring me up when I’m down…

You make my heart smile every time I hear your voice…

You’ve somehow managed to reignite my belief in love…

You support and believe in me when the rest of the world has doubts…

But most of all…

You are the epitome of love … and you’re all that I want and need in a woman.

That’s my final answer.

Click below to listen to “She Is Love”

As I watched the memorial service for Michael Jackson and began to reflect back on the numerous tributes that have been shared since he passed away, I felt it was time to share my own thoughts. While I’ll never have a true picture of who he was as a person, I can sincerely say that Michael Jackson played a profound role in my development as the Fly Guy. Of all that I gleaned from his life and music, three profound lessons of love continue to stick with me to this day.

Lesson of Love #1 You Should Always Think Before You Speak

Song: All I Do Is Think Of You

Lyrics:
I begin to take the long way home
So I can be alone
To think of how to say
You’re fine in every way
Hey, I’m in love with you
I think the world of you
Oh, won’t you please, please be mine

Fly Perspective: I’ve always been a straight shooter when it came to my feelings for a woman. If I felt it, then I would say it … that’s just the way I operated. I felt like the more honest I was, the more a woman would respect and appreciate my feelings.

But that’s not necessarily the truth.

In “All I Do Is Think Of You,” Michael took time to reflect on his feelings before sharing them. In turn, I began to slow down and think about what I was feeling, and how I could express it in a better way. Once I did that, my thoughts were relayed more poignantly, and the response I received was more favorable.

Lesson of Love # 2 It’s Takes A Real Man To Admit When He’s Wrong

Song: I Wanna Be Where You Are

Lyrics:
Please don’t close the door to our future
There’s so many things we haven’t tried
I could love you better than I used to
And give you all the love I have inside

Fly Perspective: I had a problem with pride … hell, everyone knew it. So if I walked away from a relationship, there was no turning back … no matter how bad I may have wanted to stay.

I can’t tell you how many times I let pride prevent me from giving a relationship another try. “I Wanna Be Where You Are” gave me a new perspective though. It made it OK to look my woman in the eyes and say, “I don’t care about any of the mess from our past … I just wanna be where you are.”

That shift in thinking made me a better man.

Lesson of Love # 3 Love With Everything That You’ve Got

Song: Got To Be There

Lyrics:
Got to be there
In the morning
When she says hello to the world
Got to be there
Bring her good times
And show her that she’s my girl
Oh what a feeling there’ll be
The moment I know she loves me
cause when I look in her eyes I realize
I need her sharing her world beside me

Fly Perspective:
Life is short—the loss of MJ certainly reinforces that notion. Having said that, there’s really no reason to save or ration the love that you have for your significant other. When you find a person that makes your heart sing, then love them with everything that you’ve got.

I mean that.

From the time the sun rises until it sets, don’t take any moment for granted with a loved one. I used to say, “oh she knows how I feel.” And she may have. But there was so much that I could have done—I’m sure in all of my relationships—to express my love more vividly. I know that now.

Fly Reflections:

Dear Michael,

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and pick the brains of some of the world’s biggest celebrities. And while I was always holding out hope that I would one day interview the biggest celebrity of them all, I now realize that day will never come.

But even without that chance, I still want to sincerely thank you for the contributions both to the world and to my ability to be the flyest of guys. Rest in Peace.

The Fly Guy

I’ve thought long and hard about this, and have come to the following conclusion: I love you. To be perfectly honestly, I’ve loved you for quite some time now… there’s simply no other explanation for the way that I feel. When we started out, we both agreed to take it slow, fully knowing that a strong foundation was needed for us to have any legitimate shot at love. But with that foundation now secure, I can no longer deny what I know to be true…

We were meant for each other.

There I said it. Each and every day that I’m with you, new senses are awakened within me that I never knew existed. And when I look in your eyes, my soul rediscovers one of God’s greatest purposes for my life.

So those are my feelings in a nutshell. And if that doesn’t say it all, then maybe this song will…

The Lyrics:
You’re the shooting star
On my darkest night
And when I’m with you, I feel assured
That everything’s right
You’re my source of hope
And the air I breathe
And the love You give is the greatest gift I’ve ever received
And I hope it’s not too hard to understand
That the reason why I live is to be your man

Chorus
Said it’s love
That I feel
When I’m with you, when I’m with you
Said it’s love
That I feel
When I’m with you, when I’m with you
Yes it’s love

And without you
I know I’d be lost
I’ll give you what you need now baby
No matter the cost
And I know some time
It may be hard
To understand the way I feel
Deep inside my heart
And I hope that it’s not wrong that I made plans
To devote my life to you, as your man

Chorus
And I know it’s love
And I know it’s love
Oh love, it’s love
I know that it’s love, love, love, love, oh love, oh love, oh love
I know that it’s love, love
I know that it’s love, love

Click below to listen to Ryan Leslie’s “It’s Love (That I Feel)”

I have found myself increasingly impressed with the way people express their fascination with love and relationships. In fact, I believe I enjoy it more than gravity finds pleasure in tugging at Bobby Brown’s bottom lip. Well, my feelings and his hanging lip aside, I think it’s time for me to release the third installment of Love Quotables—a collection of my favorite love-based quotes from around the world.

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.
~ by Helen Keller ~

There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.
~ by George Sand ~

Love is an act of endless forgiveness
A tender look which becomes a habit.
~ by Peter Ustinov ~

It is the things in common
that make relationships enjoyable,
but it is the little differences
that make them interesting.
~ by Todd Ruthman ~

The heart is the place where we live our passions. It is frail and easily broken, but wonderfully resilient. There is no point in trying to deceive the heart. It depends upon our honesty for its survival.
~ by Leo Buscaglia (Born For Love) ~

**Fly Request: Now it’s your turn. Share with us some of your favorite expressions of love.

In search of a memorable way to say I love you? Well there’s no need to worry as I’ve got you covered. Twice a week, we’ll begin featuring creative ways to express to your significant other just how much you love them.

Warning: While I’m all for helping you to bolster your game with a little creative word play, avoid using any of these examples unless you sincerely mean it. (The last time someone used my advice and didn’t mean it, Britney Spears was left with two babies and a drug problem.)

The Quotes

1. “The shortest word in the world is ‘I,’ the sweetest word in the world is ‘love’ and the only one for me is ‘you.’”

2. “831 means ‘I Love You’…8 letters…3 words….1 meaning.”

3. “Let these words not only touch your eyes, let it travel through your soul, and let it rest in your heart, as you rest in mine, ‘I love you.’”

4. “My love isn’t blind. It just knows what matters.”

5. “I love you by no stretch of your imagination.”