A wise man once observed that everybody needs a healthy dose of love to function effectively. This is as true today as it was many years ago. Love is one emotion that does not ever go out of style. However, a great relationship does not thrive on love alone. The best relationships thrive and grow because the people in these relationships work hard to make them succeed. Below are some great ways to make your relationships to make your relationship stand the test of time.
Communicate
One way to keep your relationship alive is to keep communication lines open. A relationship made in heaven does not exist. There must be conflicts and disagreements in most relationships. This is perfectly natural because the two people in any relationship come from two different backgrounds so there are bound to be differences in perspectives. The point is that conflicts are meant to be overcome. Disagreements and conflicts are only resolved by communication and this is why you should always keep communication lines open.
Compromise
A disagreement can never be effectively resolved if both parties are deeply entrenched in their own positions. Compromise leads to peace but you need to learn the art of effective compromise to get the right results. Maybe you enjoy woodworking, sports, nightclubbing and eating out at swank restaurants. On the other hand, your partner loves staying at home, watching movies and cooking. Clearly, you do not seem to have much in common here but this does not mean you cannot reach a common ground. Working out the differences in your hobbies is quite easy. Get a piece of paper and write out each person’s hobbies. Now allot different days for sports, nightclubbing, eating out, watching movies, cooking and chilling at home. You cannot force your partner to fall in love with your hobbies but you can compromise. Your partner may follow to watch football one weekend. On another weekend, you stay at home with her and watch movies. Do this for a while and you will enjoy it so much that it will become a permanent part of your relationship.
Ignore Interference
This is one area where many couples fall flat on their polite faces. There are millions of professional busybodies on planet earth. There are millions of unpaid advisers out there too. Now, some of these people have good intentions for you and your partner. The problem is that a lot of damage has been done to many relationships by people that had good intentions. For this reason, you will do well to avoid unnecessary interference. If people offer you unsolicited advice, you should listen to them then politely ignore their advice. If a talebearer brings you damaging information about your partner, tell the talebearer to take his or her tales elsewhere. You know your partner better than anybody else you do not need the service of an unpaid private detective.
Find Time for Each Other
One mistake many people make in their relationships is that they take each other for granted. This does not happen suddenly but it develops gradually after some months or years. Initially, you might be deeply in love with each other but after a while, the fire of love burns out and you slip into familiar complacency. This is a bad sign because it might leave the door open for more serious problems down the line. You have a full-time job and so does your partner but this excuse is not good enough. Create time for each other and pay attention to each other. Go out on dates, celebrates birthdays and anniversaries and generally keep the love alive.
Try New Things
This is the computer age and one of the hallmarks of the computer era is innovation. With new programs and software coming out every day, you can take a cue from the computer world and upgrade your relationship. Find a new way to show love and affection to your partner. Take a vacation together, exchange gifts, buy flowers and cards and generally behave like teenagers enjoying a first love. Too much routine is bad for your relationship. Be creative, think outside the box, try new things and your love will stay alive forever.