The difficult part about relationships is making them work. And while many people think that reaching the “happily-ever-after” is impossible, in reality, they’re just being lazy.
You don’t need a scientist to figure out how to make a relationship work.
Relationships only seem so incredibly hard to manage because, most of the time, people are either incompatible or not mature enough to handle them.
What you need to make a relationship last, and remain strong and loving are the following vital ingredients.
1. Intimacy
True intimacy is what separates marriage from all other relationships. Intimacy means deeply relating to each other with emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual closeness. This also includes being vulnerable with each other without fearing pain or rejection. This is also true of the sexual part of the relationship which needs to develop together with the deepening of closeness and trust in other areas.
Intimacy means sharing and witnessing each other’s lives. This, in turn, brings enormous satisfaction, which can grow deeper with time.
2. Humor
We all have a unique sense of humor. What you think is incredibly hilarious, someone else may thing is plain stupid.
Having a good sense of humor is a fantastic way to connect in a relationship, and finding someone who shares your sense of humor is an amazing way to bond! Additionally, having inside jokes just between the two of you is a great way to stay connected.
3. Forgiveness
Life is complex and often overwhelming. We cannot always know what decision would be the best to make in the heat of the moment, and sometimes, we’re not even conscious of making a decision at all.
We often get distracted and let things slip past us, which can cause pain to the one we love because of our forgetfulness and inaction.
Do not hold grudges; they cause relationships to crumble.
4. Communication
Open communication without self-consciousness is one of the most crucial ingredients of a long-lasting relationship. You must allow yourself to be vulnerable. Vulnerability creates intimacy and intimacy is the superglue of functional relationships.
That, of course, suggests that you have to feel safe enough to express yourself truthfully, which means that you also need to be able to provide a “safe haven” for your partner to express him or herself too.
Here, acceptance is key!
5. Shared quality time
Couples who make a commitment to spend quality time together are the ones who have the deepest and most meaningful relationships. No matter what, successful and committed couples make time to connect, even if they are entangled in extremely hectic and busy lives.
6. Freedom
A sense of freedom needs to be present for both people. Maintaining autonomy in your relationship is vitally important. You need to forget about the idea of finding someone to “complete you.”
You can want your partner with every fiber of your being, but do not require them to give you life. You should have the ability to pursue the things you enjoy and so should your significant other.
7. Trust and faithfulness
You can not have real intimacy without faithfulness. Faithfulness does not just mean sexual fidelity, it also includes not searching elsewhere for an emotional connection.
Many people say that it is not their partner’s sexual encounters that caused them the most pain, but the betrayal of trust and emotional connection with a person other than their spouse. Any strong emotional connection with someone outside the relationship eats away at the trust the couple had for each other and can easily lead to sexual attraction to another person.
In addition, honesty is also very important in strengthening trust.
Do you think there are more important ingredients than the ones we mentioned above? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
