People often think that building a strong, lasting relationship depends solely on finding the soulmate, a person you will love and who will love you back for the rest of your life. As beautiful as this idea sounds, it’s rarely the fate that decides whether our relationships will last or not. It’s up to us to make them grow in the right direction.
Attracting the attention of a person who caught your eye can be as easy as dressing well for the occasion, but building a lifelong relationship asks for deep commitment and hard work. Here are a few pieces of advice to live by if you want your relationship to overcome any challenge that might come your way.
Ask for trust and give trust in returnWe often hear that trust isn’t to be given away, but to be earned. This is a good tip and it can save you a lot of trouble in personal and professional life alike. However, no matter how vulnerable we feel when we put trust in others, no relationship can exist with doubts and insecurities in its very base.
Choose a partner who deserves your trust and work on being the person who deserves their trust in return. There’s no problem too big for two people who can sincerely put faith in one another and help each other keep the relationship loving, mature, and healthy.
Communicate clearly, openly, and honestlySome people find it easy to share their thoughts, fears, and dreams. Others find it difficult to open up, even to the ones they love the most. Whichever type you may be, bare in mind that open communication is a must in every serious relationship.
Some couples can talk about every aspect of their lives for entire days, while others talk less and focus on actions instead. Each combination of people is different and there is no recipe everyone should obey to the letter. What’s important is that neither you nor your partner ever feel like you have to hide some aspects of who they are in front of each other.
Learn how to make a compromise making an agreement that helps you and your partner meet halfway isn’t always a walk in the park. Compromises are often difficult to make, and the solution you come up with is always closer to one view than the other. There simply is no true neutrality.
Still, the art of making a compromise and the willingness to give up some of your beliefs in order to live with another person and respect their stands, too, are what strong relationships are made of. Don’t enter any argument with a desire to “win”. A true victory is finding a place where both you and your partner feel comfortable enough to be.
Don’t be discouraged by ups and downsContrary to popular belief and what we see in some romantic movies, relationships are never perfect all the way. Two different minds must collide from time to time, so being in a relationship means being ready to accept that both you and your partners can sometimes have insecure moments, bad days, and unreasonable reactions.
Don’t be discouraged by ups and downs. They help us adapt and overcome difficulties life brings along.
Don’t lose sight of who you are
The fact that you’re happy to spend most of your time with your partner doesn’t mean that your relationship is all there is in you life. Don’t toss away your interests, dreams, and aspirations, or ask your partner to do so.
Stay connected with your family and friends and spend time on activities that make you happy. The more you both develop and grow individually, the better your relationship will be.
ConclusionStable and strong relationships are always built on trust between partners and a mutual devotion to each other and the connection they share. Love is a two-way street. To make it work, both partners need to put in the effort and sincere emotion.
Do you want your relationship to grow and last you a lifetime? Choose your partner carefully, following both your heart and your reasoning, and remember that a little patience, flexibility, and emotional openness can go a long way.
Author BioAlice Jones is a writer and journalist currently working for a professional essay service. She was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, where she graduated from University and got a Master’s degree. In her writing career so far, Alice focused on topics such as business, marketing, and freelance entrepreneurship, but she loves to occasionally write a few words on relationships and personal growth and development.