A free spirit is full of life, too wild for this world. She lives in it anyway and chooses to love you, but you have to love her back in a special way. You have to go the extra mile to meet her where her lovely feet are. Here are 14 ways to love a free spirit.
- Give her plenty of space. Be sure not to smother this lovely flower. Not giving enough space is a recipe for disaster. Be sure to allow her to be herself. Don’t grasp because you feel insecure—she won’t go for it. Give her room to spread her wings because she’s definitely going to do so. She’ll appreciate you even more if you do this.
- Accept her for who she is. Leave judgment at the door and never try to change her. You’d fail miserably. Instead, embrace her with loving arms, Meet her where she is with an open mind. Know that she might be a little weird or out there sometimes, but you signed up to be in her life so you have to deal with it.
- Step out of your comfort zone. Your free spirit has a mind of her own which means sometimes it shows on the outside. She may dress very eclectic or have unusual interests. Don’t be afraid to be seen with her while she’s wearing that wacky hat in public. Know that other people’s opinions are irrelevant. Take a step outside that comfort zone of yours and you won’t regret it.
- Encourage her. Sure, she has enough self-esteem of her own, but she’s only human. She loves to be encouraged, especially by someone so close to her. Tell her you like that amazing shirt she has on. Remind her of her dazzling personality when she’s nervous for an interview. Mention how beautiful she is on a regular basis.
- Take her on spontaneous dates. Want to sweep your free spirit off her feet? Woo her by taking her on spontaneous dates. Choose a restaurant that you’ve never been to before or decide on a special activity for you two to do. Or, both of you can randomly decide together what you’d like to do. She certainly loves a surprise and an adventure.
- Never give ultimatums. One surefire way to send your free spirit running is to give her an ultimatum. Never tell her something that has the word “if” in it like, “If you don’t stop talking to that person I’m going to leave.” She’ll be off and running before you know it. Ultimatums are like mouse traps on a bird that needs to spread its wings.
- Pick your battles. Don’t fight with your free spirit over stupid things. She’ll get frustrated and leave. Rather, only speak up to start a civil fight when it’s absolutely necessary. Your needs are important, too, but it’s crucial not to be petty. For example, being late once by 10 minutes may not be a big deal, whereas being late by 45 minutes is going to be a problem.
- Trust her. She’s going to go out in the world talking to people and making connections—her spirit is meant for it. You can’t be at home worrying about what she’s doing. Instead, you need to take a big leap to just trust her. Put your faith in your partner, believing that she’s going to be faithful. Just because she’s free doesn’t mean she’s unfair.
- Be in the moment with her. Free spirits are big on living in the present. Yours might practice meditation or just breathe in the moment. You can support her in doing this by not worrying too much about the future and not obsessively talking about the past. Celebrate what it feels like to eat a strawberry, notice the tastes, textures, and weight. This is living.
- Dream with her. While she knows how to be in the moment, she also knows how to dream. There will likely be a future, so she likes to think about what it might look like. It may not even be something she’s actively pursuing, but she likes to dream anyway. Do it with her. Think about what you really want and love.
- Respect her boundaries. Know that she has certain times she isn’t going to spend with you and she has other boundaries that aren’t to be crossed. Just respect these needs. Take a step back when it’s not time to spend time together and don’t ask questions that’d violate her boundaries. Basically, have some common sense to respect her.
- Engage her in conversation. It’s important that you two are regularly having stimulating conversations. Your free spirit is always learning and growing and wants to share what she’s learned with you. Sometimes this might mean exploring new thoughts that you don’t agree with, but it’s totally worth the challenge.
- Don’t get all parental. Your free spirit likely hates being told what to do. She wants to do her own thing without anyone else’s input. Let her go ahead and make her own mistakes, even if it’s hard for you to watch.
- Tap into your own free spirit. Remember what it was like to be a child, without a care in the world yet holding so much wonder for the world. Tap into that energy and engage with what it might feel like to be that kind of person. What fears would you let go of? What would you do? Go ahead and do it! Your free-spirited partner will be psyched to see you getting on her level.