Everyone wants to have true love in their life, but how many people get it? Love can be a very beautiful thing, but it can also be very fickle at times. Some people are agonizingly hurt because they tend to ignore some of the hard truths about love, and the acceptance that can help them find true love.

Here are 13 hard truths about love that you need to accept

1. When someone says they don’t want to be in a relationship, believe them.
   If someone alludes to anything along the lines of an inability or willingness to date, or that they can’t date “someone” for reasons X, Y, and/or Z—all things you tick in the box—they’re most likely politely telling you they can’t date you. . Alternatives: “I am not interested in anything serious at the moment,” “I am not emotionally available,” etc.
2. Just because you’re not playing games, doesn’t mean other people aren’t playing.
   When it comes to dating, the best of us practice the golden rule: treat people the way you want to be treated. But we have to accept that practicing the Golden Rule on others does not mean receiving the same courtesy.

Some people are ghosts, others manipulate your feelings, others keep you in emotional purgatory, and the list goes on and on. This is life. You have to stick to your principles even when you don’t get the same treatment in return.

Want to know more about some of the truths of love that you need to accept? Read on if you want true love, you have to accept these 3 non-sexual truths about love

3. Timing can be a dealbreaker, but it can also be a very real limitation.
   A friend once said something about timing that made me pause: Timing is more important than whether you and your interests like each other. Yikes. It’s frustrating to think about it. The truth is that timing matters, and so does try despite the timing. You must be willing to acknowledge the kind of timing problem you are facing.

4. The sooner you accept how you feel about someone, the sooner you will know what to do about it.
   You can dance around your feelings all you want, but sooner or later, they will catch up with you. You can also rationalize, argue, and try to talk yourself out of how you feel, but it’s all mostly pointless.

Feelings can be a fleeting thing, and I certainly don’t think they should always be acted upon. But being honest with yourself comes first, right or wrong, action or inaction, comes second.

5. You will always love or truly love some people, even if they don’t “deserve” it.
   Is there anything worse than falling for someone horrible? Whether or not love is a choice is a question we will never be able to answer with certainty. However, the choice is who you choose to be with, assuming, of course, that they choose you as well.

Whether they were our runaways, lifelong crushes, or should have been, a small part of us will always carry some people with us. Is this weird or is he just human?

Do you want to know more facts about love? Read 5 things to know about unconditional love

6. Throwbacks and distractions don’t solve the problem, they just lengthen the time it takes you to move on.
   I’ll honestly admit that I never really liked the idea of “rebounds” or anything like that. Just because it makes me feel uncomfortable is like using a human being to relieve other people’s pain. Maybe it’s not that simple, and maybe both sides know what they’re doing.

But I’ve found that the process of healing heartbreak, in all its forms, is something you have to face. And the sooner you face it, the better.

7. You may meet the perfect person, but he still isn’t “ready” for you.
   This goes with the timing, except it’s not so much that the stars don’t align with both parties, as they might not want to make the sacrifice to be with you right now, for whatever reason. However, it is not a good idea to wait around for the person, because some people will never be ready for you.
8. If it’s really hard at first, it won’t get easier.
   Good movies and great literature convince us that having to overcome the hard things to be with someone, is a sign that they are meant to be together. More often than not, the opposite seems to be the case. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to do any work, but it’s worth it to tire of things that seem like more work than they should be, especially in the beginning.
9. Getting your heart broken isn’t uncommon, it’s quite normal.
   And you will heal, even if you don’t want to. (sometimes you won’t like it). Many people romanticize heartbreak when there is very little romance about it. However, one day you listen to the pain and anguish of others as you reflect on your own, and you realize in a strange way that you are in this together.

10. You can change your hair, your face, your job, your city, etc., but if you’re not okay with it, a relationship won’t fix that.
    It might even amplify all of how you feel insecure. In the end, putting the onus on something or someone else to “fix” it is too much of an ask. Finding someone who loves and accepts you is a great experience, but doing it on your own is just as important.
11. You can’t change anyone but yourself in a relationship.
    And you don’t have to go to anyone and expect that you will. You have to accept the person that you are amid all their flaws, and if you can’t, you have to let them go. because it may mean that you do not want them; You want the copy you created in your head, and truth be told, that’s unfair.
12. Sometimes you may be single for any of the many reasons people are single.
    Sometimes you are single for no reason at all. Sometimes being single seems like a blessing, and sometimes it feels like a punishment. You can lose your mind and wonder why you are single. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying that you want to be in a relationship.

But in the end, it’s always best to know what you’re willing to sacrifice to be in a relationship, and what you’re not willing to sacrifice.

13. Your love story, much like your life story, will be different from anyone else’s.
    Everyone has something to say about love and the lessons they’ve learned. (The irony in saying this is not lost on my mind.) Be willing to listen and absorb what makes sense to you – even the hard lessons. But don’t define your love and your love story by other people’s stories.

You are not entirely in charge of all the details, but when it comes to the love(s) in your life, you must have the courage to put pen to paper.

Finding true love takes time and a lot of patience, and trying to rush can’t yield good results. So, wait a while, and love will find you when you least expect it.