“Do not try to make sense of my madness or structure my chaos. Love me as I am or leave me be, for this wild heart was not born to be tamed.” ~ Becca Lee

I have a wild heart.

No matter how hard I have tried to domesticate it, it simply refuses—always reverting back to its old and unconventional ways. Constantly longing for independence and freedom. Thriving off of spontaneity and adventure. Fighting with what is logical and what my wild heart is drawn to doing. These wild hearts of ours can be loved, but we need the right kind of love.

As the quote goes, “love her, but leave her wild.”

Here’s how:

1. Accept us for who we were before we met you.

I promise I was this person before I met you. Yes, I am unconventional. And yes, I am going to do things that make you shake your head and leave you astonished, but don’t try to change these things about me. In a world full of roses, you found a sunflower—don’t try to transform your beautiful and unique sunflower into yet another rose. Either embrace and admire the beauty of your sunflower or leave it for someone who will.

2. Do not give me rules or try to limit me.

Wild hearts are naturally big dreamers. And the big dreamers of the world need a partner who will constantly and passionately push and encourage us. Someone who loves the way that I color outside of the lines, not someone who tries to fit me into the conventional box of societal perfection. My wild heart needs a lover who admires my wild dreams and truly believes in my abilities. A lover who gives me no timeline because they understand that life with a wild heart cannot be planned and that any rules or plans that are laid out are likely to end up broken.

3. Allow me space to be myself. 

Don’t suffocate me. Those with wild hearts need our space. We need to maintain our sense of independence because above anything else, we need to feel free. Don’t love us by caging us—love us by letting us fly high, even tag along with us from time to time on the little adventures that we create for ourselves.

4. Come out of your comfort zone every now and then. 

Don’t be boring and mundane. We need a lover who is open to new ideas. A lover who wants to experience everything the world has to offer, just as we do. A wild heart can’t handle the type who has “date night” scheduled every Friday after work. We don’t necessarily need someone as spontaneous as we are, but we do need a lover who is open to spontaneity. We don’t want mundane and predictable lives. Surprise us, do something different. We hate predictability.

5. Do not try to domesticate the wild heart. 

Don’t chase down a wild heart to tell it to not be wild any longer. Understand that we are rarely understood. We are irritating, confusing, spontaneous, and sometimes we can be distant because we need our space and alone time, but we will also love you with everything we have. When us wild hearts find a love that keeps our interest, we can’t help but fall deep. We will love you hard but we need you to love us right.

We are rare and we are beautiful—love us that way, or let us run solo and be free.

Author: Emily Cutshaw

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Image: LK/Flickr