Relationships are something truly special in this world. Each one is different, yet similar in many aspects.
We can see that relationships have many stages, and with those stages come new challenges and rewards. One of those stages that I am going to focus on is moving into the “long-term” category. Let’s face it, there are qualities that every long term relationship has, that we can model today, in our very own.
Here we present you five relationship lessons to keep in mind if you want to make your relationship last:
1. Never Stop Learning
Your partner it seems is always changing. They have qualities that you don’t; they also do things that annoy you. The joy and sometimes frustration about relationships is that every day you can learn about a new quality in your partner.
From learning what foods they don’t like that you have never tried before, to even learning more about their point of view on a situation.
2. Appreciate Them Every Day
When we have been with someone for an extended period, we can sometimes forget our manners! Always say please and thank you to you, partner, when they do things for you! Showing that you appreciate your significant other is fairly easy to do; go out of your way to make their day just a little bit brighter.
From a cute text message, flowers, heck to even making dinner when it is their turn, it all shows that you genuinely are happy they are around. Plus, you can always voice that you appreciate them, that never hurt.
3. Understand Their Perspective
We all come from different walks of life. What that means is that some of us will have more book smarts, and some will have more street smarts when it comes to different situations. The next time you and your partner are arguing, try to look at why they are arguing their point.
If you can understand their logic, you may be able to present the situation in a new light or learn something new after all. The bottom line, it is okay to not know all the answers, just work together to find a solution.
4. Spend Time Together
I used to think that spending time together was lumped in with living with your significant other. After a while, that fuzzy feeling started to fade, and I realized that sitting on the other side of the room reading while he was playing video games, is not spending time together.
Instead, do activities together, not just errands. Go out to dinner, a movie, and then you can come home and have a deep conversation about life in general. Turn off the T.V. and put down the book, connect with your partner on a deeper level.
5. Physical Attraction Stays
Long term relationships are haunted by the miscommunication that over time, the sexual attraction between the two will fade. Biologically yes, the tables turn on men in their late thirties, but for women, it is quite the opposite! No matter what your age or state of your relationship, never use the duration of time being spent together as an excuse not to enjoy one another.
When everything is boiled down to the bare bones, long term relationships are not that different from ones that bloom every day. The main difference is the amount of commitment that two people put into a relationship. Not every day will be a walk in the park, it takes hard work, courage, and dedication to keep a relationship thriving.