While this post was sponsored by Sony Music, all opinions are my own.

The journey of creating a loving relationship is surprisingly one of personal growth, courage, and inner power. When we open our hearts to the experience that love brings into our lives, we learn how the depth of love impacts our lives forever.

Love is like a hot air balloon ride, both exhilarating and beautiful, while dangerous and scary. To reach new heights in life, we have to face the risk to gain the reward.

As Miranda Lambert’s song Tin Man reminds us, the road to love isn’t always easy. When we’re hurting, we often close our hearts, leaving us feeling like a tin man. When we act impermeable to heartache or pain, those are the times we need love the most, even when it’s scary to show vulnerability.

Throughout our relationships, we all face painful moments, but if we’re willing to keep our hearts open, we’ll find even more love and joy coming into our lives. Facing challenges in relationships, working through problems, creating boundaries, and even overcoming heartbreak are all parts of the journey of love that shape our destiny. 

While we often put up walls, act invincible, and run away from pain, love reminds us to keep our hearts open. Closing our hearts doesn’t make us stronger. In fact, it only masks our pain while acting as a shield from the outside world.

When we think about all the people we’ve loved (or even those who’ve hurt us), we should send them thoughts of gratitude. Because of them, we’ve learned how to love, have discovered who we are, and have been changed forever.

Bottom line – love isn’t for the faint-hearted, it’s for the brave. So, if you’re up for the journey of a lifetime, keep your heart open and love others, even when you feel like a Tin Man. 

For more inspiration, watch Miranda Lambert’s Tin Man video and tune in to the CMA Awards on November 8th!