Love is a tricky business. If you ask me the key ingredient of a successful love life, I’d say “Efforts” every time. When you commit to a person and they return that commitment, effort on both sides is what makes the commitment easy to hold.  A book I read changed my definition of love for good. To give you a short version, it said that most love lives take a toll because the partners take “love as a noun” when it should be treated as a verb. What it means is, when you take loving actions that show affection and care towards the other person, love flourishes. The fact that you’re reading this article shows that you’re willing to make that effort.

Love Yourself

Loving yourself is the first step towards letting someone in on your life. This might sound cliché at first but when you look at it logically, things would start to fall in place. Knowing your self-worth and leaving room for self-admiration will allow you to treat your partner with respect as well. If you don’t believe that you are worthy of love in the first place, you will struggle to build a long-term relationship with your partner. Similarly, knowing your strengths and shortcomings from the start of your relationship will prove to be the foundation of keeping your partner interested in the long haul.

Be spontaneous

In a long-term relationship, things might start to get boring as sure habits and routines are religiously followed over the years. To break the monotony of everyday routines, try finding a way to make those day-to-day activities a bit more entertaining. E.g., you may come back home tired after a 9-5 job after which you hardly talk to your partner. Taking the lack of communication into account, you could sit with your partner before going to bed and you may ask him open-ended questions such as “did you have a good day?” instead of asking “how was your day?”. Your partner is much more likely to open up if your body language matches your words as you show any interest in what you are talking about. Likewise, you could make plans as simple as going out every weekend instead of sitting at home and watching TV. In terms of a relationship where you and your partner are still working things out, spontaneity could be the single ingredient that you are missing out on as being spontaneous will not only be a great bonding experience but it will also introduce your partner to your rollicking side.

Communicate

Being open to discussion on new ideas and topics always requires both parties to contribute. Communicating your thoughts, needs, and feelings to your partner are essential as it will keep them on track regarding how you’re feeling or what needs to be done in a particular situation. For a relationship to last long and your partner to stay interested in the relationship, sharing little details and secrets about your life will ensure a healthy connection to foster in the long-term. One of the biggest challenges that couples face when it comes to working on issues is that they fail to get their idea across to the other person which leaves room for doubt and assumptions which may lead to the eventual downfall of the relationship.

 Be thankful

Showing appreciation for things as little as him opening the door for you or him getting a box of chocolates when you are on your periods is what matters the most. You cannot expect your partner to continue doing the things that he does for you if he feels that his efforts go unnoticed. Moreover, partners tend to take each other for granted in the long-term so stroking his ego at times by complimenting him by telling him how good he looks or mentioning how you love the fragrance of the perfume that he’s wearing will make him feel desired.                                                                                                      

 To be continued

Source: www.gistping.com