Love — we all want it, we all crave it, and we want to experience it in our relationships. But why exactly is love so important? Why should you make sure that love factors heavily into your next relationship? Here are five reasons why love should be the most important factor in any relationship you’re in.
1) True Love Is Not Based on Feelings
Many relationships are built on feelings. When we feel like we’re falling in love, we start to believe that our partner has fallen in love with us as well, and vice versa. We begin feeling like it’s only a matter of time before we take things to the next level. This can be problematic because when our feelings change — for example, when you break up or get into a fight — the relationship goes with them. In other words, true love isn’t based on how you feel about your partner but rather on what he or she does for you. Even when you don’t necessarily feel like your partner loves you anymore, his or her actions should show otherwise.
2) You Choose Who to Love
When we decide to be in a relationship with someone, it’s because we love them. We accept their flaws and overlook things we might not necessarily like about them — and that’s because love makes us blind to these imperfections. We choose who to love — even if they aren’t perfect, even if they have made mistakes, even if they hurt us. And sometimes it takes going through some terrible things before you understand what real love is…if you ever do. It’s easy to give up when life gets hard, but remember that real love means staying together no matter what.
3) True Love Will Survive Through Difficult Times
If you and your partner are going through some really tough times, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s important. You might want to give up. After all, who wants to drag themselves out of bed every day and go on if they know they won’t make it past another few months? But even when times are hard — or devastatingly difficult — love can make all the difference. Remember that you love each other and you have no idea how your lives will change over time; don’t turn your back on something beautiful just because you aren’t where you thought you would be right now. If true love exists between two people, it can survive anything that life brings its way.
4) Without Communication, No Relationships Last
Relationships involve two people — and these people have their own needs, wants desires, and feelings. It’s hard to understand what your partner wants if you can’t get them to talk with you. For some, communication comes easily; for others, it’s not so easy. If you have trouble speaking up for yourself or feel like your partner doesn’t care enough to listen, communication problems are likely at play in your relationship. And if you can’t work through those issues…then it might be time to move on.
5) True Love Takes Effort to Keep-Alive
It may seem like love just happens to you, but keep in mind that true love doesn’t come easy. If your relationship with your significant other isn’t as strong as it used to be, take some time to examine what’s gone wrong. See if there are ways you can work through differences and rekindle intimacy. This can be done by setting aside time each day to talk openly about issues that matter most and putting real effort into pleasing one another. True love takes effort and forgiveness, but it’s worth every moment of hard work. So before you give up on your relationship, make sure it deserves it.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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