“All you need is love…” Were The Beatles right when they sang this? Is love really all you need to make a relationship work? If you’re being honest with yourself, you know that the answer is no. No matter how much we wish it was all that was required, there are many other things that make a relationship successful. And here they are!
1. Communication
You might think “Oh, this one is easy!” – but talking about the real stuff can be really tough sometimes. Actually, telling him about your silliest insecurities and being able to communicate at a level where your soul is bared is something every relationship needs if it’s going to last.
2. Trust
Not completely blind trust, but enough trust that you know nothing they say or do will blindside you completely. You have an understanding in your relationship and feel comfortable in sharing your hopes and dreams with your partner.
3. Commitment
One-sided effort can never lead anywhere good. You both need to commit to making things work and to giving each other time no matter how difficult it seems at certain times. If you mean for your significant other to know that they’re important to you, you need to make sure you share your life with them and make them part of it.
4. Honesty
It goes without saying, doesn’t it? If you’re deliberately hiding things or lying about things (and we don’t mean the white lies with good intentions) then there is obviously something very substantial lacking from your relationship. You need to reach a place where lying is not even an option, even when speaking the truth might lead to disagreement or a fight.
5. Compassion
You both might have different upbringings and different work environments, but going that extra step to acknowledge and be sensitive regarding the challenges your partner faces is very necessary. If the person one loves doesn’t understand – or at least try to understand – these things, it can really hurt one’s feelings.
6. Loyalty
What’s between you two, stays between you too. May it be something good or something bad, but especially if it’s something bad. The two of you can have opposing views about a certain issue, but you still need to project a united front when facing a third party. It’s not about what others think but just about where your loyalties lie and not letting a third person disrupt that.
7. Compromise
No relationship can work without a certain degree of compromise by both parties. You might think that you shouldn’t have to change certain things, but there are small ways in which you need to adapt yourself with your partner. And, of course, they owe you the same courtesy! It’s just to make things work and life simpler for each other.
8. Acceptance
No one is perfect, we all know that. We accept this fact when it comes to our family and friends. But somehow when we think of our partners, many of us often think that they should be JUST perfect. So you need to broaden your mind, accept their little flaws and treat them as part of just who they are as a person. It’s those little flaws and quirks that actually make them perfect for you!
9. Laughter
Okay, enough with the serious stuff! All of that is important, but the most important thing? Laughter. If you can’t laugh about the silly stuff and the even the serious stuff sometimes – till the time you laugh together! – then what’s the point of being together, really? This one thing can make you work through some of the toughest times in life, so don’t take it lightly!
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