Relationships are complicated, whether you are in high school, starting to date or even a senior.
It's difficult if not impossible, to perfectly balance every aspect of being with someone, which makes so many of these tips so useful.
Yet, if you can figure out a way to be in love with another human being, that's something to make you smile.
It is something to celebrate.
True love is unlike anything else which happens in our world, and following those tips listed below can help you achieve a state of harmony many people simply can't.
Enjoy reading, and if you believe this can help somebody in your life, please share with them!
1. Respect
Respect is the foundation for every relationship. It's the first requirement before you even go out on a date with somebody.
If, for instance, a man does not respect women, then he is automatically setting the relationship up for total failure. No woman should be with a man who does not respect women. It is a two-way street.
If a woman does not respect the man she is with, then there is no way the relationship will work.
Before you have even so much as swiped right on a potential Tinder date, you have to be equipped with the knowledge of how to properly respect the other human beings who occupy the planet with you.
Along with respect comes compassion, kindness, and understanding. Without respect, your relationship will not ever amount to anything.
Treat respect as the foundation upon which a strong relationship is built.
2. Communication
While respect is truly the brick and mortar of the relationship, communication is key to determining whether the person you're with is the right person.
Society has broken out of older social norms which dominated western culture for centuries. Men and women nowadays both get to decide what kind of relationship they want to have.
No one has to settle for anything! It's a beautiful thing.
But to attract the right person to you, you need to be able to communicate the things you need out of your relationship.
As the relationship grows, you need to be able to communicate the things you like, the things you do not like, where you would like to see things improve, what makes you happy, etc.
Sometimes couples don't communicate because they fear to have tougher conversations, and almost universally, those relationships are doomed to fail.
You need to trust the person you are with will be open to listening to what you have to say.
3. Fun
So we've got respect and communication down. The relationship is well on its way. You might have moved in together at this point, and you've fallen into a routine.
Particularly for younger couples, a routine can be a death note for a relationship.
Som couples stop going on dates, they stop going on adventures, they begin to get bored, and this is where problems begin to arise.
The honeymoon phase does not usually last forever. Eventually, things will begin to feel a little dull.
If you have an open line of communication, you will be able to talk to your partner about those things, to suggest new ideas, new dates, new adventures.
Keep your relationship fresh and fun, and it will keep plugging along into your golden years.
4. Honesty
Honesty is among the toughest things in relationships because some of the things you will need to be honest about will hurt.
Everything your partner does will almost always affect you, and when it affects you negatively, you need to be able to communicate it openly and honestly.
It may hurt your partner to hear some of those things, but it's essential nonetheless.
Without honesty, any rifts that may open up in your relationship due to behavior that is not agreed upon by both parties cannot be mended, and old wounds cannot be healed.
So be willing to fully commit to honesty, clear communication, and complete openness.
5. Common Values
What kinds of values your relationship and family have is something which needs to be agreed upon.
You do not always have to see eye to eye on every little issue. You do not have to be the same religion, the same political affiliation, or agree on much of anything.
But what you do need are shared values.
You need to have hashed out how you plan to raise your children if you have any, how you treat the world, and what your values are.
Common values will help you smoothly traverse any obstacle your relationship may experience.
Unless you have the same values, if your beliefs do not line up in a way that is important for you, then the relationship probably will not work out.
It is best to face that now before you're more involved in it and the problems begin to get rough.
6. Goals
Every relationship needs goals, but do not misunderstand me.
Your goals do not have to be huge. Your partner does not need to have goals such as being an underwater heart surgeon.
You do not have to get your master's degree in dog psychology. Goals don't mean 'extreme goals.'
It simply means goals. Your goals could be, for example, to manage a small gas station franchise until you're ready to retire or travel around the globe in a retrofitted school bus.
It does not matter what your goals are, just establish them. Make them clear.
You do not want to be a couple without any goals and find yourself drifting purposelessly when you get into your second decade of being together.
Be clear about what it is you want in your life and your relationship.
If your goals do not match up with your partner's, then it might be time to reconsider the nature of your relationship as a whole.
7. Agreed Upon Terms
Nothing can wreck a relationship quicker than two people who are not willing to set terms, limits, and boundaries with one another.
It sounds super rigid and lame, but those things are essential.
You don't want to get into a termless relationship with someone only to find that they will not meet you halfway on things that are important to you.
Establish what you want. Make it clear how you want labor and chores to be divided.
Agree on a set of terms so that if one tries to back out, then you can go back to discussing what you agreed upon already.
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