To fall in love is to allow yourself to be vulnerable.
Trusting your partner in a relationship encompasses a multitude of facets, each contributing to a deeper bond and connection. It’s about having confidence that your partner will care for you in the ways that resonate with your desires and needs. This trust extends to the fundamental aspects of a relationship, such as offering to pay for dates, providing assistance when requested, and prioritising your well-being and happiness. It’s a belief in their commitment to invest their time and energy into nurturing the relationship, demonstrating their dedication to its growth and prosperity.
Furthermore, trusting your partner involves vulnerability — a willingness to let down your guard and share your innermost feelings and thoughts. It’s about feeling secure in the knowledge that your partner will listen without passing judgment, creating a safe and nurturing space for open communication. This vulnerability allows for authentic and meaningful connections, fostering understanding and empathy between partners. By allowing your partner into your inner world, you invite them to comprehend your complexities and nuances, strengthening the bond of intimacy and closeness in the relationship.
To fall in love is to communicate standards and boundaries.
It is being confident and assertive enough to express your needs and boundaries to your partner. It’s about having the trust that they will respect and honour those boundaries. Upholding your standards means recognising your self-worth and not settling for anything less than you deserve in a relationship. It’s about maintaining your integrity and ensuring that your needs and values are respected and met within the relationship.
There’s a nuanced difference between setting boundaries and upholding standards. Setting boundaries is a verbal act that involves clearly communicating your limits and needs within the relationship. It requires assertiveness and clarity to express what you are comfortable with and what you are not. For instance, phrases like “I am not comfortable with having a sexual relationship with you at this juncture” or “I felt uncomfortable when you…” demonstrate the directness needed to convey your boundaries effectively. This verbal communication ensures that your partner understands your expectations and respects your limits, fostering mutual understanding and respect within the relationship.
Upholding your standards in a relationship involves maintaining your self-respect and ensuring that your needs and expectations are met. When your partner’s actions or behaviours fall short of your standards, it may entail withdrawing accessibility or reassessing the dynamics of the relationship. For instance, if your partner consistently fails to communicate or engage with you as frequently as you desire, upholding your standards might involve taking a step back or expressing your dissatisfaction with their behaviour. This could manifest as reducing the time and effort you invest in the relationship until your partner demonstrates a willingness to meet your expectations. Ultimately, upholding your standards reinforces your sense of self-worth and demonstrates that you refuse to settle for anything less than what you deserve in a relationship.
To fall in love is to put yourself first.
Falling in love involves prioritising your own self above seeking external validation. It’s about practicing consistent self-care and recognising that if your needs aren’t met despite vulnerability, you have the strength to walk away, confident that someone else will honour and cherish you as you deserve. It’s an understanding that, despite your deep feelings for your partner, your own self-respect and fulfilment must come first. By putting yourself first, you establish a foundation of self-worth and empowerment that sets the standard for how you deserve to be treated in any relationship.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
What Does Being in Love and Loving Someone Really Mean? | My 9-Year-Old Accidentally Explained Why His Mom Divorced Me | The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex | The Internal Struggle Men Battle in Silence |
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