Hhmmm, Kyra sighed gazing dreamily out of the window. Her mind was far away from her Math class. Her teacher's voice was simply a buzz in her air. As she gazed out the window she absently began to doodle in the margin of her book. Jeff and Kyra, forever, J&K… Jeff had asked her out a few days ago and she could think of nothing else. She talked to her friends constantly about Jeff. Kyra was convinced that she was in love!

Love is the most widely used and misused word in every language in the world. People claim to do many things in the name of 'love' even going so far as to kill another human being. Love is the greatest human need - every one wants to love and be loved in return. However the problem arises when we put our desire to be loved above everything else. Many young ladies today in the search for love do so at the expense of their own individuality and health. Some, like Kyra, mistake something else for love. What they think is love is often simply infatuation. Females especially are plagued with what I call "the infatuation bug". They fall hard and fast for "their guy" and truly convince themselves that he is the only one for them. They may try and do everything that they possibly can to gain his love - even when they are hurting themselves in the process.

A lot of young men try to convince their girlfriends that sex is the way to "prove" their love and unfortunately, some young ladies do fall for this lie. They may have strong convictions that having sex out of marriage is wrong. However, in the face of what they will have to give up, courage, pride, self- preservation and even common sense leave them and they fall for 'dumb love', or infatuation.

Nothing is wrong with a young lady feeling the need to be love. However, don't allow your need to be loved to cause you to do something you'll regret. True love brings out the best in you. It makes you want to be a better person. It doesn't pressure or coerce. It makes you want to hold fast to your beliefs and to who you are. Don't allow any 'rift raft' or 'scrub' to allow you to destroy yourself. Whether you're still in High School or a recent graduate, remember don't hurry love. Enjoy life, hang with your friends, work towards realizing your dreams... the future awaits… make it a great one!

Feel strongly about this article? Ever been asked to prove your love? Why not share your thoughts on Girl Talk's Forum Board? Your experience may help some other young lady.