Valentine's Edition - Learning Love in Real Life — Mark A. Hicks | Audacious Living

What if love isn’t something you “find”… but something you practice?In this episode, you’ll get personal growth insights, real conversations with an industry leader, and bold conversations that inspire action.Mark A. Hicks returns to break down what it really takes to sustain long-term love, especially when life gets heavy and passion starts to fade.We revisit his “five components of love” and go deeper into the two areas where most couples get stuck: healing old hurts and learning to love yourself first.In this episode, we explore:-Embracing stress can lead to personal growth and resilience-High-functioning individuals often struggle with emotional connections due to past traumas-Stress can be a competitive advantage when managed effectively-Emotional intelligence and vocabulary are essential for navigating relationships and heartbreak-Understanding the difference between challenge and danger is crucial for high achieversGuest Bio Mark A. Hicks is a counselor and author of Learning Love, where he breaks love down into five core components to help people build healthier relationships. He’s also the founder of the Learning Love Foundation, a nonprofit focused on mental health education, helping families and workplaces develop healthier, high-trust relationships.Guest Offers / Products / BooksBook: Learning Love Nonprofit: Learning Love Foundation (resources and mission)Guest Contact InfoWebsite: learninglovefoundation.com Mark’s site: markahicks.com TIMESTAMPS (Key Moments)00:00 – Audio issues, quick fix, and a classic “we’ve been here before” moment02:10 – Mark returns: why love is learned, not automatic04:35 – The 5 components of love (rapid refresher)08:40 – Why grief is the first component of love12:45 – The self-love hurdle: why validation from others won’t fix it18:30 – When passion fades: how to intentionally bring fun back23:10 – “Fake laughter” and retraining your brain for joy27:05 – Audacity in relationships: loving boldly through life’s twists31:30 – The most audacious act: small things done consistently (coffee story)35:10 – Fearless Fast Round: texting arguments, tough love, and “I’m sorry”Blog LinkRead the full EPISODE blog post here: [Blog Link]Listen on Major PlatformsSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345Amazon → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFtDon’t forget to subscribe, like, and share to help others live their most audacious lives!Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/audaciousBehind-the-Scenes Note from Audley This convo hit different because it reminded me that love doesn’t run on intentions, it runs on practice. Mark’s “coffee story” was a mic-drop moment for me. It’s not always the grand gestures, it’s the small things done consistently that keep love alive.