Relationships are a constant balancing act of competing thoughts and ideas. Unless you are the very rare case of a couple that always agrees about everything, you will at some point in your relationship come to a disagreement. You will have different opinions from your partner, but if you follow these five rules your relationship will be strong enough to weather the hardest of circumstances.
Probably the most important key to a healthy realtionship is communication. People often fight over misunderstandings and assuming that your partner knows how you are feeling. Think before you speak, and keep no secrets from your partner and you will have a strong and lasting bond. But if you keep how you are feeling inside, you will drive a wedge between the two of you. No matter how hard it feels, you must find a way to communicate your thoughts and emotions, and be an open ear to listen when your partner communicates with you.
Always try your best to understand how your partner is feeling, or how your actions will effect your parters emotional well being. Often we do not realize that the things we do are upseting to our partner, because you may not always have the same opinions. But it is okay to have differing opinions as long as you are understanding to your partners thoughts and feelings, and you communicate that you understand and try to compromise whenever possible.
Give Respect to Get Respect. Often as partnerships go through hard times people lose respect for the person that they love. Maybe you disagree with the way that your partner handled a situation. Maybe you feel hurt by their actions. But with a loss of respect comes the break down of the relationship. Communicate with your partner about what is bothering you, and always try to respect his or her feelings, when they communicate their feelings. Respect your partners thoughts and feelings and remember that you may not always be right, and if there opinions differ from yours, try to understand where they are coming from. Somethimes there is more than one right answer.
You may not always agree with everything that your partner does, but when your partner chooses to make a change or share a dream with you, it is so important that they know they have your support. A partnership is a promise to help each other fulfill your dreams. It is okay to communicate your worries and fears, or if you don't understand their dream or their wishes. But it is also very important to communicate that no matter what they decide and how you feel about it, that if it is important to them, that you will stand behind them the whole way.
Remember that above all, your lover is and should be your best friend. Treat them as you would treat a friend, with love, respect and compassion. It is easy to become complacent when you are living your day to day lives together. It is easy for little things to get under your skin. So when things are tough, think about the things that brought you together in the first place. Think about the things that made you fall in love. Devote time to your partner, and spend time doing things that you both enjoy. Even if you are in a tough situation, it is important to take a step away from the stress of daily life and do something fun together.
If you build your relationship on a strong base of compassion and mutual respect you will have a strong relationship that will get you through the tough times in life. Be supportive of your partner and work every day to build each other up, so you can be strong individually and powerful together.
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