[quote author=Glory2019]Everyone dreams of a love story that will
last forever. However, nothing comes
without efforts, and you also have to be
compatible with your partner and have
similar goals. Not every couple can build a
serious relationship, which will make them
stay together for many years. In this
article, you will find out what makes a
relationship strong, and useful tips on
strengthening your union with your
partner.
What makes a relationship strong and last long?
Usually, we are being told by the
societal norms that we necessarily need
a partner to be complete and fulfilled in
life. Even if the main way you can reach
harmony and peace is self-love and
respect, many of us still can not help but
wish they were also loved by someone.
However, not many people know how
healthy relationships work. Sometimes,
we can compare our regular real-life
relationships to all the fairy tales that
the media shows us.
In the romantic comedies and
melodramas, the standards are set
unrealistically high, as the couples are
shown just at the beginning of their
relationship. Obviously, they are happy
together, have no conflicts, and are
enjoying their true love that conquers
everything. Many people project this
into real life and are wondering why
their own relationship is not like this. In
real life it is entirely different because
every couple has to go through everyday
issues – like bills, sharing a home
together, various work-related stresses,
and raising children. Of course,
romance movies will not show this,
because they end right when the couple
finally proclaims their love for each
other. If the romantic feelings are not
as huge and wholesome as in the
movies, people start thinking that the
love between them and their partner is
not here, and there is something wrong
with the relationship.
How to make a relationship last long?
You should throw away all the
unrealistic expectations, and accept the
fact that you and your partner are only
humans. Obviously, if you both are
getting uncomfortable in this union, it is
best to end this. But if you have some
problems that you can work out through,
it is absolutely normal for every couple.
Here are some relationship tips about
how to make your union strong and
long-lasting. In fact, when you have
gone through everything with your
partner and your love still withstood all
the challenges, it is much more beautiful
and genuine than any cheesy plot of a
romantic comedy.
How to make a relationship strong
So, if you want to commit to a person
long-term and build something really
special with them, these tips may come
in handy. In love and relationships,
they are extremely important and hold
a large significance.
1. Acceptance
There is not a single person who is
perfect. And the main premise of a
healthy relationship would be accepting
your loved one with all the flaws,
qualities, and behavioral patterns. You
have to view them for the person they
are, and not for some ideal version of
them that you have created in your
head.
The acceptance should be mutual, so you
also should not tolerate the partner who
constantly tells you to change something
about yourself. Tolerance is a very
powerful thing that helps to avoid the
misunderstandings and fights and is
also useful for getting to know your
partner better and adapt to their
character. This said, obviously, if there
is some character trait about your
partner that really puts them in a
negative light and makes everyone’s
lives more difficult, you should be
honest with them, and, if they
acknowledge it, help them to become a
better person.
If they refuse to work on their
complicated personality, and the flaws
become stronger than the desire to be
with the person, it would be best to go
your separate ways and not make each
other unhappy. But still, you should
remember that everyone has their
moments, and if you love your partner,
you will be focusing on the positive
things.
2. Communication
There are so many media (movies, TV
shows) that show us what happens when
the couple lacks communication.
Sometimes they have the silliest
misunderstandings, simply because they
make assumptions instead of talking to
each other openly.
If you are facing some challenging
moments in your relationship, perhaps
this is the sign that you should
communicate with your partner more.
In strong relationships, people always
interact with each other, talk about
their days and listen to what their
partner has to say, exchange pieces of
advice and opinions, and express
mutual support.
The effective communication is one of
the keys to a strong relationship, and if
you are finding yourself drifting away
from your partner and not finding
common topics anymore, being afraid
to open up about things in fear of
judgment, or feeling exhausted after
every conversation with them, this
might be an alarming sign.
3. Being honest
Expressing your feelings in an open
manner instead of bottling them up is a
significant part of every healthy union.
If you suppress your true feelings long
enough, eventually, under the stress,
they will burst out in a very unpleasant
form, and hurt both you and your
partner.
Every person who is in a long-term
relationship needs to talk openly about
things that worry or concern them, and
make sure that they have not done
anything that upset their partner or
made them feel uncomfortable. This is
very closely tied to the previous point
about communication
4. Compromising
Two people, who have huge egos, are
stubborn and would only want things to
go their way, would not ever make a
healthy couple. Not all things are worth
fighting over, and not everything has
always to go our way. Sometimes,
compromising with your partner and
hearing their side of things is essential,
because you never know what it will
lead to in the long run.
There is really no point in fighting over
the minor things that can easily be
resolved without an argument.
Sometimes it is best to focus on the good
things and see the point of your
partner, instead of refusing to change
your ways. It will really help your
relationship, and you will find yourself
feeling more refreshed and happy than
after the constant fights.
5. Trusting each other
The key to every successful and loving
relationship is, of course, trust. It goes
without saying that trust in a
relationship is important, and it is a
remedy from all the fights,
misunderstandings, and arguments. If
you love your partner, trusting them in
an emotional and physical way is very
essential. You should not always suspect
them of cheating, or doubt their
faithfulness towards you. The person
will quickly feel trapped and will need a
break from your control.
As practice shows, the more you try to
restrict someone’s freedom, the more
they want to be free, so there is a high
chance that if you doubt your partner
all the time, he or she will get tired of it
and seek happiness elsewhere, with
someone who trusts them. If the trust is
broken, it may be more difficult to
confide in the partner the same way. It
depends on the situation. But generally,
you have to learn to believe your
partner and give them space in order to
make your relationship long-lasting.
6. Spending good quality time together
The couple should not just be a couple –
they also have to be best friends. There
is no point in a relationship where you
just like each other’s looks but have
nothing in common and make each
other unhappy.
It is incredibly important to have
common interests and hobbies and
spend some good time with each other
when you have free days. This means
communicating with each other, going
out and exploring new places, traveling,
cooking together, watching the movies,
and just having a nice fun time. Even if
you are polar opposites and have
different hobbies, you can try to adjust
to your partner’s lifestyle if this person
truly means a lot to you. For example, if
your lover likes football, you can go to
the game together – even if you know
nothing about it, you have a chance to
learn and expand your horizons.
Never judge people for things they are
passionate about, no matter how
ridiculous they might seem to you. All
the hobbies and interests are valid, as
long as they do no harm to anyone, and
they are a big part of everyone’s
personality, one of the things that make
us different from each other. So, if your
partner does not understand your
passions, mocks you for them and
outright says they are silly, then maybe
you should look for someone who would
be more supportive. Support and good
pastime together doing things you both
love will make the relationship stronger
and healthier.
7. Commitment
If you want to spend your life with this
person, you should fully commit to this
relationship. This means that you should
think not only about yourself but also
about your lover and how your actions
make them feel. You should talk out your
goals for the future and make sure they
are similar, so you could achieve them
together.
Both of you need to compliment each
other, give support throughout the
difficult time, and lift each other up
when one of you is feeling down. And
do not forget to give your partner
enough space so you would not get tired
of each other, because each person has
a life which does not revolve around
their lover. Getting into a relationship is
not just a fun thing – you have to be
committed to it and fully understand
the needs and wishes of your beloved
person.
Saying “thank you†and “sorryâ€
Obviously, you are close with your
partner, and there are no barriers
between you. But do not think that your
close bond is an excuse for being
impolite and disrespectful. Little things
like saying “thank you†when the person
did something nice and pleasant for you
or saying “sorry†when you have done
something wrong, really make a huge
difference in a relationship. It can make
your union even stronger because these
small gestures are a way to demonstrate
that you care about the feelings and
emotions of your partner, and respect
them. You might think it would go
unnoticed, but trust us when we say that
it will not. And of course, find the
balance: people who apologize all the
time for everything can quickly become
irritating for the others, so say it in
healthy amounts.
9. Being romantic
Even though those romance movie
cannot be entirely realistic, sometimes
we all wish that our life could be a little
like them. There are a lot of people who
are smart, practical and reliable, but
life with them gets boring very quickly
because they are unable to bring a little
excitement and fairytale into their
partner’s life.
Your partner would really appreciate it
if you made some small sweet gestures
for them: for example, this could be
remembering the anniversary of your
relationship and other special days,
keeping in mind the favourite things of
your partner and using them as a
reference for the future, surprising each
other with gifts and flowers, planning
romantic evenings and vacations.
Except that, you should not forget to
remind and show your partner
regularly how much you love them. Love
life will become very repetitive and
monotonous if all you have is just
serious everyday problems.
10. Solving the arguments in a mature way
So many couples resolve their fights by
screaming and insulting each other, and
it is probably obvious why this way is
wrong. There is always a bitter taste
after such arguments, and you just
know deep inside that your trust into
this person always having your back has
decreased.
Every couple has misunderstandings –
after all, we are all humans, and it is
impossible to agree on everything.
Bringing up the problematic topic
should be done in a gentle tone, without
blaming anyone, because this is how
most fights usually start. Some good
ways to resolve the fight are changing
the topic, using the sense of humor,
establishing the common ground, or
making a caring remark (for instance “I
understand that this topic is difficult for
you to discussâ€). Sometimes, it can be
the healthiest for both of you just to
back off and return back to this
discussion when you both have calmed
down.
11. Focusing on positives
Some people just complain too much,
and if you think about it, many of those
things are simply not worth
complaining. If you or your partner are
one of those people, this can bring
discomfort into your everyday life,
because the negative environment is
always harmful. It is especially difficult
if you keep complaining about each
other’s bad sides.
Instead of dwelling on all the negativity
that surrounds you, try to notice the
positive things and focus on them.
Discuss them together with your lover,
and concentrate on how many good
things are there in the world. Try to
recognize and acknowledge the strong
sides of your partner. It is really very
simple to do so, and once you start, you
will be amazed at how much better it
feels. In fact, all the things in the
universe are neutral, and it is our
attitude that makes them them negative or
positive.
Photo: shutterstock.com
12. Showing physical affection
When people are shown physical care,
they feel safe and happy. This is why it
is essential to give your partner this
affection on a regular basis – it will
increase your trust and emotional
connection.
It is really very simple to hold hands
when you walk in the street, to give
your lover comforting hugs, or to
squeeze their arm gently. Perhaps this is
what your partner is waiting from you,
but is too embarrassed to say it out
loud.
13. Not arguing about money
The healthy conversation about sharing,
spending and earning money is
completely required at the start of the
relationship. Try to reach a mutual
understanding of your financial life.
After all, one of the partners will always
earn a little more, and the unexpected
financial troubles will always occur, and
these are things that every couple
usually deals with. Address the worries
about finances that you have on your
mind, and do not argue about these
things, because they very often kill the
promising relationships.
14. Making your significant other a priority
This is the main reason you are in the
relationship. Both people can have lives
outside each other, and it is, in fact,
strongly advised, because all couples
need breaks and lives of their own.
However, you should always let your
partner know that you are serious about
your relationship, and they are an
absolute number one for you.
These are the ways to preserve and
maintain strong, good, and healthy
relationships. We hope these pieces of
advice will help you, and bring you
many years of love, respect, and
understanding! Sharing your own
stories in the comment section is
strongly encouraged![Spending quality time together in worship and prayers is also very important.]
