5 Biggest Dont’S Of A Relationship

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbPWVu73FAcGJSDFPKlr4Ko9oo0aaxvFZroTgWQ-ovgTsGwCIoTQrdN5AvajuuNJIPOaFYwnxH3Dq8nQPTUeJBnqCe_ZY0_6_5VyBrbcMvj9Y7QWqJvsVYvZLVNl8QL6euyrGMWNS0NI/s1600/are-your-expectations-too-high-or-too-low-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbPWVu73FAcGJSDFPKlr4Ko9oo0aaxvFZroTgWQ-ovgTsGwCIoTQrdN5AvajuuNJIPOaFYwnxH3Dq8nQPTUeJBnqCe_ZY0_6_5VyBrbcMvj9Y7QWqJvsVYvZLVNl8QL6euyrGMWNS0NI/s400/are-your-expectations-too-high-or-too-low-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> What if someone could give you a checklist of the things you are not supposed to do in a relationship? What if someone could just give you the key to all your problems? <span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;">Here is a list of things that often cause problems in a relationship. </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;">Avoid those huge fights by following these simple things.</span></div> <h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 5. KEEP THINGS PERSONAL</h2> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> The biggest fights I have come to witness throughout my life is because of involving a third person in a couple’s personal matter. Be very careful when you discuss your relationship with a friend, it’s all right to share a few things with them to help you get clarity but not everything is right to share. You and your partner should have a few things between the two of you and you two only. Sharing the intimate details of a relationship causes people to take your relationship as something that can be commented on openly and when that starts happening to much that might at some point hurt your partner. So keep things personal!</div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 4. NEVER ACT ACCORDING TO HOW SOMEONE ELSE IS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP</h2> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> We often start taking too many advices from people who aren’t even in the same situation as us. In fact, we often listen to how other people talk about their relationships and start to look down upon our own. I have seen many of my friends listening to a girl flaunting how her boyfriend got her something, this would make them feel bad about their own relationships. People who were completely content with their relationships two minutes ago suddenly become insecure and unhappy. When this happens people tend to react in different negative ways, they don’t accept that they feel jealous or maybe they don’t feel appreciated.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Whenever you hear someone talk like that, listen, but at the same time remind yourself of all the things you have and they don’t. Be thankful and you will never feel unappreciated.</div> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 3. TALK, DON’T SCREAM</h2> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> As small as this one seems it fixes a lot of problems. It is important that you and your partner define the lines not to be crossed in any argument. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Every duduk perkara in the world is solved through words.</strong></em> If eventually it has to be solved through words, why scream and yell at each other. Yelling makes even the most logical statement seem harsh and illogical. So make a point through your words and not your pitch. You will be surprised how easily things can be solved when you talk it out instead of yelling or fighting.</div> <h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 2. THINK BEFORE YOU REACT, DON’T DO SOMETHING OUT OF ANGER</h2> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Relationships are always challenged by misunderstandings. Do not give in to these misunderstandings and react without talking it out with your partner. I am sure you all have witnessed this somewhere in your life, misunderstandings can happen out of nowhere and that’s the true test of a relationship. You need to keep yourself calm and not accept something you know, superficially, as the whole truth. If there is something that has bothered you about your partner then confront them sensibly. Most things that you do out of anger will end up as a disaster.</div> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 1. DON’T TAKE YOUR PARTNER FOR GRANTED</h2> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Never ever take your partner for granted. When you do that, it is extremely obvious to your partner. Nothing will last forever if you keep assuming that without any effort or recognition your partner will stick with you. When you don’t appreciate your partner for the small and big things, they subconsciously start looking for the appreciation somewhere else. Why let your partner slip away from your own hands. Appreciate them and don’t take things that they do as their duty. If they decide to be caring, compromising and loving, they are doing it because they love you and they believe you deserve it so in return you should give them your appreciation equally.</div> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> Talk to me</h3> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Have you made one of these mistakes in your relationship? Have you learned from them? Let me know in the comments below. And as always, stay blessed and keep the love alive!</div> </span></div>

5 Biggest Dont’S Of A Relationship

What if someone could give you a checklist of the things you are not supposed to do in a relationship? What if someone could just give ...

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How And Ways To Stop Repeating Past Mistakes In Love

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt=" While many of your difficulties in love are not really your fault How and ways to Stop Repeating Past Mistakes in Love" src="http://static.eharmony.com/dating-advice/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/stoprepeatingpatternsinrelationships1-397x267.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div> <br /> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> While many of your difficulties in love are not really your fault (poor role models, dysfunctional patterns in your family growing up, etc.), it is your responsibility to move beyond them. The good news is that you can absolutely get past those old patterns in love and attract someone who will meet you on even ground and become the romantic partner you’ve always dreamed of having. The only hard part is that no one else is coming to make this situation better for you, and it is up to you to invest in doing the necessary work.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Why some people find love and others don’t has nothing to do with fate or worthiness but whether one has identified and cultivated the capacities that support happy, healthy, real love to flourish and thrive. The best place to begin creating a very different kind of relationship than any you’ve had in your past, <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is in your own relationship with yourself.</em></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Any relationship you’ll ever have is only going to be as good as the relationship you have with yourself. And those places where you have problems relating to yourself will also be troublesome in creating a relationship with someone else. For instance, if you’re constantly making yourself wrong, you’ll find that eventually others will be more than happy for you to take the blame for everything going wrong between you. If you chronically berate yourself and speak in disrespectful ways to yourself and about yourself, you will exert an almost magnetic pull on even the most loving people around you to begin doing the same.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Some of these patterns might not show up immediately, but eventually they will. And when they do, you’ll be startled. You’ll wonder, how did I create another relationship with my critical father? How did I get into bed yet again with someone who is always making me wrong just like my mom? Yet, it’s not really your mother or your father. They may have treated you that way 20, 30, even 40 years ago, but actually it’s you who has been treating yourself the same way ever since.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Inside of not evolving that dynamic in your own relationship with yourself (which we will often not do when stuck in blaming our parents to the point where we are not taking responsibility for the choices we are making to perpetuate the same dynamic with ourselves), you will have a tendency to duplicate your old painful patterns in love again and again and again.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The way you can begin to make great progress in your relationship with yourself is to make a deep commitment to recognize and stand for your own value and worthiness to love and be loved.</em></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Make a promise to yourself to do whatever it takes…to go the extra mile in your efforts to become the man or woman you’d need to be in order to prepare yourself to have authentic love in your life.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Your commitment to yourself needs to then begin showing up in your actions…</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Are they reflective of your commitment to have a great love in your life?</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Are you living in integrity with that vision?</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Are you taking the risk to show up in ways that are generative of the life you’re committed to creating?</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> To support you in your budding commitment towards self-love, let me explain where most people tend to get stuck: It’s often in learning how to connect with and gaji our own feelings and needs. Most of us were not taught how to check in with ourselves so we could learn to be aware and respectful of our own needs and desires. Some of us were even trained out of having our feelings and asserting our needs in ways that would have created healthy dynamics of mutuality, depth, understanding and authentic care. Yet these skills of self-awareness and self-care are foundational to being able to set clear, healthy boundaries that allow a relationship to flourish.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I’m not talking about walls here. Walls don’t let anybody else in. Boundaries, however, are fluid and allow us to be clear with others about what we can do, and what we can’t do, what we want and what we don’t want. They allow us to say no when something doesn’t feel aligned with our own well-being or integrity, and to say yes to those things that do. And, contrary to our fear that if we don’t give someone else everything they want from us, they might leave, boundaries actually serve to make our container of love stronger.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> For good boundaries, the ability to recognize yourself as a separate autonomous individual who is holding ultimate responsibility for your own happiness in life, is necessary in order to create a healthy, happy relationship with another human being.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> A wonderful way to begin practicing honoring your own feelings and needs and setting good, healthy boundaries is to ask yourself in any given moment, “Where is my attention?” Most of us have our first attention on others and are more aware of the feelings and needs of others than we are of our own feelings and needs. This is the core of co-dependence and will create toxicity in relationships over time. For example, have you ever felt yourself merge so much with another that you became unable to differentiate their emotions and needs from your own? Have you ever believed that things would get better and that the relationship would succeed if you could just give more and step so fully into the other person’s shoes that you could entirely understand them? Have you ever found yourself disappearing your own feelings and needs in order to care for the feelings and needs of someone else? Many of us have. And it’s a misunderstanding of what mature love really is.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> And so, in taking a stand to create happy, healthy love, you want to identify the growth and development you must begin to engage now in preparation for having this love. This particular practice is learning how to keep your first attention on yourself while also being sensitive and available to care for the feelings and needs of others.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> For many of us, this is a real evolutionary edge, for we have only before known either self-abandonment or self-absorption! But true love will require more of us. And our task in making a commitment to call in great love is to become a great lover. A lover of maturity and depth who has cultivated the capacity to show up as a grown-up in order to co-create a grown-up love. Commit to your own evolution in love…and your beloved cannot help but follow.</div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With love,</em></div> <div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <i> Team</i></div> </div>

How And Ways To Stop Repeating Past Mistakes In Love

While many of your difficulties in love are not really your fault (poor role models, dysfunctional patterns in your family growing up,...

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Twenty Tips About Courtship For Women

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <ol style="font-size: 18px;"> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img src="http://www.responsys.com/blogs/nsm/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/customer_relationship.jpg" /></div> <blockquote> <span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Only consider courtship at a time in your life when you are ready to consider marriage.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Until that time–foster the virtue of friendship and hold off the romance until you are really ready for it.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Only enter into a courtship with a man whom you would consider marrying.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">A woman might consider “just” dating any guy that she’s attracted to as long as she has no sense of long-term commitment. The duduk kasus arises when she’s grown attached to him after a period of time and can’t bring herself to breaking off the relationship, even when it’s not good. She may end up marrying a man that she otherwise would not have. Set the stakes higher–only court with a man you’d consider marrying.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Enter a courtship to discern whether or not you are called to marriage with a certain man.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Courtship is dating with a purpose. If you know that you would not consider marriage with this man, or you are not ready to consider marriage yet, then don’t enter into a courtship. Stay friends or acquaintances for the time being. Courtship is about prayerful discernment, which means you will decide either that God is not calling you to marriage with this man or that He is not. Both outcomes are valid in a courtship!</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Take time through prayer to discern God’s will.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">You need to foster prayer in your lives individually and as a couple. You can not know God’s will without prayer.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Base your courtship in the family:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">As much as possible, spend time with each other’s families. This is so important–for if you do end up married, you’ll want to get along. Family is an invaluable resource and such an integral part of who we are. You will learn much about each other by seeing how each other relates to family members. And your family, in turn, can give you much insight about the man with whom you are courting (and his family, about you!) Family sees things we don’t always see. Love can be blind at times–family (and friends) can really help to correct our vision. If you are far from family, make every effort to get home and spend time with them. And in the meantime, adopt a family (friends from Church, for example) to provide for you all the benefits of a family-based courtship.</span></blockquote> <div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Items 6 – 15 deal with setting guidelines for yourselves from the very beginning of your courtship. (If you’re starting over–changing from a dating relationship to a courtship model–then begin now with guidelines.) The following points will cover areas you should consider in those guidelines.</span></blockquote> </div> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Emotional Intimacy:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Guard your hearts and do not dive emotionally into a courtship relationship head first. Give yourselves time to learn about each other. Do not open up all your intimate secrets, desires and longings to each other immediately–just because you are courting. Allow your relationship to grow naturally. Keep the mystery alive by not revealing everything all at once. The duduk kasus with “dumping” on each other emotionally early on in a relationship is that if you later discern that you are not called to marriage you could have many regrets over having shared those intimate thoughts and secrets with someone who will not be your husband. You need to be honest with each other, but that does not mean you have to reveal everything right away. As the relationship grows, you will discover a natural pace for sharing those emotional intimacies.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Physical Intimacy:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Decide what your limits will be and write them down. Remember that as you store up your treasures of physical intimacy before marriage–every sacrifice that you make to stay pure becomes a jewel for you to share with each other in marriage. At that time–you will be able to delight in the beauty of giving yourselves to each other completely and totally. And your pleasure in marriage will be magnified by your time of waiting.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">To kiss or not to kiss:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Are you going to allow for kissing or not? Kissing is NOT a sin. It is not bad. It does not mean that a couple is less virtuous in courting if they allow for kissing. It is a decision you make as you set your guidelines. So think through the reasons why you would choose to allow for it or not!</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Saving that first kiss:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Many couples decide to leave kissing out of their relationship–as kissing has the power to ignite their passions. They choose to wait until the altar for their first kiss. They also might be coming out of past relationships–where they are struggling to keep control over their passions. They might be coming from a position of never having been kissed before, and now that they’ve waited this long–they want to go all the way with it! There are a variety of reasons why some couples choose this path.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Saving that “next” kiss:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Other couples, who have allowed for kissing in their relationship, sometimes decide to cut it out and wait to have their “next” kiss at the altar–which could be quite a wait! But they’ve seen how kissing is stirring passions that are making it harder for them to stick to their goal of staying pure in their relationship.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Kissing with limitations:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Some couples allow for kissing–but they limit how and when and where–which is wise if they want to keep it from stirring those passions that can be so easily ignited.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Hugging:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Are you allowing for hugging–and in what context? Hugging is a completely acceptable and beautiful expression of affection, support and love. However, prolonged hugging—while all alone and at times when you might be feeling weak (like late at night)—can stir passions. Just be careful that you are guarding the context well so that it doesn’t begin to undermine your good intentions.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">How, where and when you spend time alone:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">During courtship you obviously will want and need to spend time alone together. But how and where are important questions. If you are spending time alone late at night or in complete isolation, you may just find that your resistance to temptation is weakened. It’s best to find time alone together while doing something–going for a walk, cycling, canoeing, playing sports, taking in a show or going out to a restaurant, etc.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Avoid the near occasion of sin.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">This is not to say that a couple who is courting will only stick to their goal of purity if they are NEVER alone together . . . as if to say the only reason they resisted temptation is because they never went near temptation. But there is a teaching that exhorts us to “avoid the near occasion of sin”. We should not deliberately put ourselves in temptation’s way. Hopefully, any couple who makes these resolutions–even if they were given the opportunity to break them–wouldn’t break them, because they are persons of integrity! But we are all weak at times. All it takes is one moment of weakness (and be sure Satan will be watching for it) for you to make a mistake that you could regret for a lifetime.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Don’t give rise to scandal.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">But what if we’re not being tempted? Why wouldn’t it be alright to be off, alone, in isolation together–for example staying late over at one or the other’s apartment alone? This is where we get into the whole issue of giving rise to scandal. The duduk kasus a couple faces here–even if they are strong enough to resist all temptation–is the impression they are giving to others. “So what?” You may ask. “Let them gossip–what do we care? We know we’re not doing anything wrong!” When others perceive you to be leading an impure life, it gives others a sense of it being okay to not embrace purity in their own relationships. They’ll be thinking, “After all, they’re doing it and they’re a nice Christian couple. Obviously it doesn’t make any difference if we do or don’t.” Even though you had been embracing purity, you still misled others to believe you weren’t. In this way you would not be helping to build the body of Christ by your good example. Rather, through the scandal you would have given rise to, you would have inadvertently led others to sin. It is our sense of responsibility in the body of Christ that leads us to make the necessary sacrifices for the sake of others when we decide not to give rise to scandal. </span><br /><br /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Accountability:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We all are more responsible when we are held accountable for our actions. Make a list together of your resolutions and guidelines for your courtship and give that list to some mentoring couples and accountability partners. These could be your parents, other married couples from Church, friends, roommates, family members. Basically you are looking for people you trust and respect to be able to talk with openly about your relationship. They should be able to ask you at any time how your are doing–if you are keeping your resolutions–and you need to be able to answer them honestly.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Mentoring:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Along with this idea is the need for mentoring couples–ideally that would be your parents, but it is not limited to parents. These couples should be well-versed in the Church’s teachings on marriage and the sacraments. They should be couples who can advise you on all kinds of issues related to marriage: finances (especially tithing), family networking, Natural Family Planning and the gift of human sexuality, balancing work and family life and so on.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Time to pray and time to play: </span><span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Obviously prayer time is important for a couple who is courting–as they are trying to discern God’s will for their relationship. But a couple should never neglect to be sure to allow for play time! Have fun. This season of life should be fun and filled with excitement and adventure. Don’t forget to make time to play.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Keep the romance alive:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Remember that courtship is a time of romance. Don’t cheat yourselves out of that. Enjoy dynamic, exciting, God-glorifying romance by seeking ways to give of yourselves to each other, to serve each other and to show your love for each other in simple ways. Romance–true romance–is about blessing the other by giving of self . . . and that’s what true love is about, too. So you see, the two go hand in hand. Couples who engage in an intensely physical relationship often lose out on this very point–because physical pleasure has become the focus of their relationship. By converse, couples who do not distract themselves with physical intimacy have more time on their hands to spend creatively doing romantic things for each other and together–blessing each other with their loving deeds and gestures as often as they can.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Be active in your faith community:</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Courtship is a great time to grow in faith together–and to spend time together in your faith community. In this way your relationship is supported by like-minded people who will become for you that community that celebrates with you in times of joy, consoles you in times of grieving, and that lifts you up you in times of hardship. We cannot live in isolation–we need that community to be there for us, which means, we need to be there for them as well. Be involved, have fun taking in events and activities together, volunteer service time together, and join in prayer groups and Bible studies together. These opportunities to spend time together, in a larger group setting, help you to learn much about each other by seeing how each other deals with a variety of situations and other persons . . . and are great opportunities to dedicate your time and talents to the Lord.</span></blockquote> </div> </li> <li class="style25" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div align="justify"> <div align="justify"> <blockquote> <br align="justify" class="style25" /><span class="QuestionBodyItalicsGreen" style="color: #003a00; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">There is a great deal that can be said about courtship.</span> <span class="QuestionBody" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">And each family will establish their own model–sometimes a different model for the varying circumstances of each child. What is import is that you discuss these things in the family and when the time comes in your life for courtship you will be prepared with an excellent game plan!</span></blockquote> </div> </div> </li> </ol> </div>

Twenty Tips About Courtship For Women

Only consider courtship at a time in your life when you are ready to consider marriage.   Until that time–foster the virtue of friends...

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25 Rituals That Will Make Your Relationship Last Forever

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dU07b0dc9oF2PPdrr1D5L9UA1hyphenhyphenLJ9f5jNGVovmIyCI0Ad0xzYcPI171JrEE65ACzfFCxvvD3jJg6MPsf7MqaXBYxTMRuWKl5ZB5X60r12MwGA60WlfP4Ald3GqFjGemGQjDk39vwq4/s1600/coupledating.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dU07b0dc9oF2PPdrr1D5L9UA1hyphenhyphenLJ9f5jNGVovmIyCI0Ad0xzYcPI171JrEE65ACzfFCxvvD3jJg6MPsf7MqaXBYxTMRuWKl5ZB5X60r12MwGA60WlfP4Ald3GqFjGemGQjDk39vwq4/s400/coupledating.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <span style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> <span style="line-height: 1.5;">People these days think relationships are all about the social side of things, of how “cool” other people think the two of them are together and how the rest of the world perceives them. It’s not like that, relationships are solely about two people regardless of what society thinks or makes of them because it’s their own lives at the end of the day. This piece is going to be about simple rituals, simple ways of living that people need to adapt in order to keep a healthy and balanced relationship and to also make it last long. This is for the people who seek a serious future with their partners and are willing to do anything and everything to make it work. Let’s begin.</span></div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 25. Don’t limit the number of chances you give each other</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> People make mistakes, it is only human to make mistakes and it is also human to forgive those mistakes. Don’t ever be the person to take away the chances from your partner, they will make mistakes just like you and they too deserve chances to make things right and to work harder for the relationship and for your collective future.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 24. Don’t expect a walk in the park</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Even the happiest of relationships aren’t a walk in the park, every good relationship has a lot of ups and downs and it’s natural. Some people think that just because they’re facing a lot of problems, maybe that relationship isn’t for them. That’s not the case, nothing good in life comes easy. If it’s not worth fighting for, it’s not worth it at all.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 23. Forget the rest of the world</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> If you let the world make your decisions, you won’t have a life of your own to live, you’ll solely be a puppet of society and the norms it follows. Do NOT listen to the world and what it has to say about you and your partner. Be content with your partner, be as happy and as sad as you want to be with your partner without the fear of being judged by others. It’s your life, start owning it.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 22. Accept your mistakes</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Like I said before, it’s only human to make mistakes. And it is completely okay to accept those mistakes, it’s actually advised that you accept your mistakes rather than running around them and make up stories or to eventually lie about it, just be clean and simple about your actions with your partner. Relationships work best when there is complete transparency between two people, and acceptance of mistakes is something that makes it that much more transparent.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 21. Forgive more often</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Forgiveness is a virtue not everyone can master. It takes a lot of strength to forgive someone and to forget their mistakes, but it’s the way of nature if you want to move on with your lives happily. Learn to forgive your partner for their mistakes, imagine yourself in that situation and imagine how helpless they feel, would you let your partner feel that way? I don’t think so. Forgive and forget. Live and let live.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 20. Trust, trust and more trust</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> A strong level of trust is the building block of every relationship, it’s one of the major pillars on which a relationship stands on. Build as much trust as possible between the two of you. Be completely open about your past, expose your weird sides to them and don’t hesitate to admit to any wrongdoing. A strong level of trust is what takes two people from “just a couple” to “a healthy couple”.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 19. Time</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Give each other as much time as you can. Time is the most precious gift you can give someone and your partner needs nothing more than your time. Spend as much time as you can together, it is the only way the two of you will grow as a strong unit with a happy future. Learn to manage time if you have a busy schedule, do not bring up excuses when it comes to love. You should always be “there” for your partner regardless of how busy you are in your life.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 18. Compliments</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Compliments aren’t out of fashion and go a long way. No matter how long you two have been together, never forget to compliment each other. It could be on the way they look, on the way they work or on the way they make you feel, but keep the compliments alive and make sure it happens on a daily basis.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 17. Strength</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Be each others’ strength in tough times, a strong couple is one in which both partners act as a unit. During tough times, we look at our partners for help and support (even when it’s just emotional support) and it is the key to make or break a relationship. Infinite support is what’s essential in every relationship.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 16. Realistic expectations</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> I’ve mentioned this a lot of times because a lot of people don’t seem to get it. Expectations should be kept very real, unrealistic expectations can lead to a lot of problems and fights. You and your partner are both human, you both know what the other person is capable of and you know where you two stand in life. Do not give each other the burden of expecting more from them, more than they can give.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 15. Not even the smallest of lie</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Lying is just wrong, it cannot be justified in any way possible. If you think you lied to your partner to save them from some sort of sadness, you were unfair with them because they will find out sooner or later and the fact that you lied is going to hurt them more than the lie itself. I’ve been through this when my ex lied to me and I just felt dazed and confused about it. Keep the level of trust maintained.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 14. Give more and expect less</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Giving more and expecting less is one of the golden rules of every relationship. When you give more and expect less, you are being the best person you can be with your partner. I’m not saying you’re not going to get anything in return by being so selfless, but that’s the beauty of being selfless. You will find the happiness by giving and by being selfless. It’s a very satisfying feeling.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 13. Keep your promises</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Promises are supposed to be kept, they shouldn’t be broken. When one promise is broken, no matter how big or small, it starts damaging the trust between two people and it takes a lot of time to get the trust back to normal after that. Be very careful with your promises, don’t just make promises for the heck of it. Make sure you only make promises you can keep.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 12. Clear communication</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Clear and open communication is key to every lasting relationship, you should be able to talk to your partner without thinking twice about it. Be open, speak your mind, say whatever is bothering you and don’t start keeping things to yourself. Keep a very clear level of communication, even if it feels awkward or uncomfortable, just do NOT keep things to yourself or you’re going to talk it all out at once.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 11. Talk openly about personal problems</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> It is okay to think that you can solve your own problems every once in a while without your partner knowing about them but it’s a good thing to tell them anyway. Let your partners be a part of your problems, no matter how personal they are. Even if sharing those problems feel a bit weird, just do it. It’s for the good of your relationship.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 10. Actually listen to each other</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Like I said before, open and clear communication is very vital for every long-lasting relationship. Listening to one another is also vital. And when I say “listen”, I mean to actually understand what your partner is saying and not just nodding your heads.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 9. Help each other grow</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> When you’re in love with someone, you need to focus on their positives and to make sure those positive features get stronger with time. You need to help each other grow and make each other as emotionally strong as you can. This is how relationships go beyond all limitations of time.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 8. Do not try to change each other</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Strong couples accept each other just the way they are, they don’t try to change each other. Love your partner for how unique they are, not the way you want them to be or how someone else is. You are with your partner because of their individuality, never forget that.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 7. Respect each other’s feelings</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Respect is very important for every relationship. When respect goes out the window, not much is left to work on. Respect each other’s feelings, think twice before saying anything mean or hurtful to them no matter how angry you are. Words can make or break a person.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 6. Lift each other up</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Like I said, you need to be each other’s strength and you need to focus on the positives. Lift each other up, with your words, with your actions, in any way you possibly can. Do not let your partner feel down because of someone and just remind them of how amazing they are and tell them they can achieve anything in the world.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 5. Share a good sense of humour</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Two people can go a long way if they know how to make each other laugh. When you have a good sense of humour, you’re one of the blessed ones. You’re one of the people who are hard to come by and can make anyone laugh no matter what they’re going through. And if you can find someone who matches your sense of humour, you have a keeper. Make each other laugh, in even the worst of times.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 4. Understand each other</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Mutual understanding is something that is very hard to achieve and it goes a long way. Go out of your way to understand each other. Try and understand their problems and their happy moments, try to understand what makes them tick. Do not try to get inside their minds, but understand on your own level. We aren’t supposed to be mind readers here.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 3. Appreciate every action</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Know how to appreciate each other. No matter how small the gesture may be, appreciate it and don’t let it go unnoticed. When you appreciate your partner, you make them feel like they’ve achieved something in life, you make them feel like they’ve achieved in making you happy and that is a very nice feeling. Appreciate each other.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 2. Forget the past</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> You two love each other because of the present, not the dark past. If you’ve shared anything dark about your past with your partner, you’ve trusted them with everything and you’ve also trusted the fact that they won’t judge you and that they won’t use your past against you in the future. Move on and learn to be happy in the present, do NOT use your partner’s past against them no matter how angry or upset you may be. It will only be a moment of anger for you, but it’ll take your partner back to their dark times and will remind them of everything.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> 1. Loyalty over everything</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> It goes without saying that loyalty is everything. It is above everything else when it comes to relationships. Emotional and physical loyalty. Be loyal with each other, with your words and actions. Do not even mentally cheat on them.</div> <h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Roboto Condensed', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> Talk your heart out</h3> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #353535; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 20px;"> Is there anything I’ve missed out in the list? Please add your comments below and let me know. And as always, stay blessed and keep the love alive!</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dU07b0dc9oF2PPdrr1D5L9UA1hyphenhyphenLJ9f5jNGVovmIyCI0Ad0xzYcPI171JrEE65ACzfFCxvvD3jJg6MPsf7MqaXBYxTMRuWKl5ZB5X60r12MwGA60WlfP4Ald3GqFjGemGQjDk39vwq4/s1600/coupledating.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dU07b0dc9oF2PPdrr1D5L9UA1hyphenhyphenLJ9f5jNGVovmIyCI0Ad0xzYcPI171JrEE65ACzfFCxvvD3jJg6MPsf7MqaXBYxTMRuWKl5ZB5X60r12MwGA60WlfP4Ald3GqFjGemGQjDk39vwq4/s320/coupledating.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> </div>

25 Rituals That Will Make Your Relationship Last Forever

People these days think relationships are all about the social side of things, of how “cool” other people think the two of them are to...

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Things Men Want In A Relationship?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="http://dailyplateofcrazy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/African-American-Couple-in-Bed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://dailyplateofcrazy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/African-American-Couple-in-Bed.png" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">t is commonly said that women are complex in mental nature while men remain easy to understand and simple. Whatever be the reasons that backup this comment, in relationships both men and women follow slightly diverted paths. What men look for in a relationship is not what motivates women to fall in relationships. The differences in desires, mentalities, passion, expression levels etc., are resulted from some unknown causes; might be hormonal differences, mindset changes or social concepts.</span><br /> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-top: 21px;"> Unconditional love</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> Demands and conditions are a big turn off for men of all nature. Men prefer unconditional love, especially in a relationship. Many women adhere often to the mistake of demanding or putting forward certain conditions in return to the love offered.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> It is a common nature of men that mechanical way of life makes them bored and frustrated soon. They want life like a free flowing leaf in the water. Conditions are often understood as barriers in the free flow of love and men may look for someone else to share the life.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-top: 21px;"> Friendship and communication</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> Instead of being authoritarian in life, men look for real friendship and a partner for open communication in relationships. Many men accept that they look for a better friend when they get into relationships, rather a sex partner or female companion. The friendship aspect helps them to open mind and share the life through active communication. Though women are labeled as born with rarely-silent tongue, even men like to talk and be listened.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> The couples who nurture better friendship in the relationship are more likely to enjoy lifelong romance and happiness. Times are gone when the husband had to take over the role of all-controlling and all-deciding authority while wife remains the silent and all accepting partner. Today better families are which constitute a union of partners based on deeper friendship and never irritating communication strategies.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-top: 21px;"> Sexuality</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> Lovemaking has prominent role in helping people to progress in relationships. Many couple fails pathetically to understand the right role of sexuality in relationships, especially in marriage. Sexuality is not a forbidden fruit which is often misconceived as a necessary evil; but an essential harmonizer in relationships. It unites men and women so deeply in love. Many people consider sex as just a process of procreating and begetting kids. In fact, procreation is just one of the aspects of lovemaking. The name lovemaking says it all as it is making or establishing love and affection between two people.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> Every relationship has to understand the sexual elements involved in it and denying it to any of the couples, is a big mistake which make lead to a breakup. Men are very much bound to sexuality as the male sexuality is very much dynamic. Sexual desires and mode of sexual appetite differs in men and women, Men are fast beginners while women slow-starters. Understanding the differences in sexual nature may help the partners to deal with it most successfully. Men want more sex; of course, while women may not feel the necessity often.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-top: 21px;"> Support and encouragement</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> Each partner in a relationship has to support and each other and encourage themselves. Men are very much addicted to incessant support and perpetual encouragement. Female partners need to tune up men consistently by encouraging them and offering support in all the matters related to his personal life as well the matters related the relationship. All men strive for the support of the partner in relationships and when he doesn't get adequate support he may think about another relationship in which he expects more encouragement and support.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-top: 21px;"> Commitment and fidelity</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10.5px; text-align: justify;"> Needless to say, men look for utmost commitment and uncompromised fidelity in relationships. They want their partners to solely dedicate themselves in the relationships and many men feel it heartbreaking to even think that the partner is less committed. Women with 'roaming-eye' are always considered unaccepted by men.</div> </div>

Things Men Want In A Relationship?

I t is commonly said that women are complex in mental nature while men remain easy to understand and simple. Whatever be the reasons that b...

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What Is Dating?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h1 class="title" id="page-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 39px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 62px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITeoFgMaaKz9pZjXrIObhjLsKRVpUNsV-HkA8zGUiVf0Du8U6mQpx1SUBQWLyZmUuCxsTnD5TEmwRB1MtnhctDCwbrsHnYycYaKs0KDHMP5uSTVtNJlabpITJKxObHkucVubYTrwtAY8/s640/dating+vs+relationship.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="640" /><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05em; text-align: left;">What is Dating?</span></h1> <br /> <div class="block block-system block-main block-system-main odd block-without-title" id="block-system-main" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="block-inner clearfix" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="content clearfix" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <article about="/dating-basics/what-is-dating" class="node node-page node-published node-not-promoted node-not-sticky author-admin odd clearfix" id="node-page-4" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" typeof="foaf:Document"><div class="content clearfix" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="field-items" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Dating" means different things to different people, particularly across generations. At loveisrespect.org, we </div> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> define <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">“dating” as two people in an intimate relationship. The relationship may be sexual, but it does not have to be. It may be serious or casual, straight or gay, committed or open, short-term or long-term. The important thing to remember is that dating abuse can occur within all kinds of intimate relationships.</span></div> <h2 style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 29.25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 46.8px; margin: 10px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Types of Dating</h2> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> You and your friends may use the word “dating” or you may not. People describe relationships in different ways. Whatever you call it, we want you to understand and feel comfortable with whatever type of relationship you are in. Some of the most commonly used words to describe dating are:</div> <ul style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Going out</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Together</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Being with someone</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Seeing each other</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hubby/wifey status</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Just friends</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Friends with benefits</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hooking up</li> </ul> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Regardless of the label you use, you and your partner should both accept the same definition for your relationship.</div> <h2 style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 29.25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 46.8px; margin: 10px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> But I’m Not Dating!</h2> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> There are other types of relationships that might not be considered dating that are just as real and that we can help you with here. Maybe you have a child with somebody, but do not consider yourself to be in a dating relationship with that person. Having a child together could feel like more than just dating, or you might have chosen not to be together anymore; there is no one way that relationships must work.</div> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Another possibility is that you and your partner are married. Of course marriage is different from dating in some ways, but you might be surprised at how similar they really are! What makes a dating relationship healthy or unhealthy usually applies to marriage as well.</div> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> At loveisrespect, we focus on dating but this site is relevant to everyone.</div> <h2 style="border: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 29.25px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.05em; line-height: 46.8px; margin: 10px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Who is a Partner?</h2> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Simply put, a dating "partner" refers the person you’re in a relationship with. A healthy partner is:</div> <ul style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 10px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Respecting</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trustworthy</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Honest</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dependable</li> <li style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Supportive</li> </ul> <div style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Whether you’re in a long-term, committed relationship or looking for casual dating experiences, you can still experience abuse. People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) can be in abusive relationships too. In fact, studies show that dating violence occurs at the same rates in same-sex relationships as in opposite-sex relationships.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div> </div> </div>

What Is Dating?

What is Dating? "Dating" means different things to different people, particularly across generations. At loveisrespe...

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Six Reasons Why Trust Is More Important Than Love

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> <img alt=" Most people believe that love can conquer all Six reasons why trust is more important than love" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.relrules.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/shutterstock_189202697.jpg?fit=1000,541" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> Most people believe that love can conquer all, and that the only thing you need in order to make your relationship successful is just pure and honest love. I would beg to differ! After 21 years of living and two long relationships, one thing I’m completely sure of is the fact that trust is the most essential component of a successful relationship. In its absence, you can end up feeling constantly worried and hurt.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> If you don’t completely trust your partner, you end up wasting all your time worrying about where your partner is, who they’re with, and what they’re doing, and ultimately end up feeling psychotic. I’m pretty sure that’s not the kind of relationship you would ever sign up for.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> Here are 6 reasons why trust is always more important than love:</div> <ol style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 24px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> You can only love a person truly if you trust them</h2> </li> </ol> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> Love is always built on trust and not the other way around. Being rational human beings, we tend to love the people we already trust. And if we enter a relationship without building its base around trust, it is bound to fail as soon as the hard times come.</div> <ol start="2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 24px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> Trust is used to control our emotions</h2> </li> </ol> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> We are all emotional beings. In most situations, we tend to place more emphasis on the means rather than the selesai end. We tend to engage in relationships that are meaningful, relationships that we can truly value.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> And how do we decide in the start if a relationship will prove to be that way? We use trust! We use it to gauge the kind of relationship we have with others. And we use it to decide exactly how much of our own self we should give to others.</div> <ol start="3" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 24px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> Trust is the building block of all relationships</h2> </li> </ol> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> Once we truly trust a person, once we find the comfort to open ourselves to them and to share all the deepest, darkest thoughts in our minds, that is the moment when a relationship truly becomes unbreakable.</div> <ol start="4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 24px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> Love can cloud your judgments but trust illuminates them</h2> </li> </ol> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> We always believe that love can be our one true savior in times of need. But the truth is, we’re usually too blinded by love to actually make sane judgments. We get too involved in trying to gain the acceptance, approval, and admiration of those we love. And we fail to realize the fact that love is suppressing our ability to reason.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> This is where trust comes in. It helps you get back to the real reasons behind your relationship. It helps you realize whether the person standing in front of you is actually worth the effort. And it helps you distinguish between the people who you’ll have a lifelong connection with and the people who will eventually leave.</div> <ol start="5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 24px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> Trust conquers all</h2> </li> </ol> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘Love conquers all’. But the truth is that trust is the one thing that can truly push us to believe that we can and we will conquer all obstacles. It holds everything together when all the things around you seem to be falling apart. It’s the glue that fills every gap and every difference you might have with your partner.</div> <ol start="6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 24px; padding: 0px;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> Trust is what makes you love again</h2> </li> </ol> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> When all is said and done, when you feel like life keeps pulling you to the ground, when you get your heart-broken a thousand times over, the only thing that can help you bring back the hope in your life is trust. It enables you to believe in something bigger and better than all the heart breaks. It helps you get yourself back on track in life. And it helps you get the motivation back to find your one true soul mate.</div> <h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 1.2069; margin: 1.414em 0px 0.5em; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible;"> Talk to me</h2> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: "PT Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px;"> Has your trust ever been broken before? Let me know about it in the comments below!</div> </div>

Six Reasons Why Trust Is More Important Than Love

Most people believe that love can conquer all, and that the only thing you need in order to make your relationship successful is just pu...

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Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships

<header class="article-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #565656; font-family: Signika, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><h1 class="entry-title single-title" itemprop="headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.5em; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.333em; margin: 0.67em 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"> Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships</h1> <div class="single-featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <img alt="" class="attachment-gz-thumb-750 size-gz-thumb-750 wp-post-image" height="500" itemprop="image" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" src="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-750x500.jpg" srcset="https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-750x500.jpg 750w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-768x512.jpg 768w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-300x200.jpg 300w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S-350x233.jpg 350w, https://loveandlifetoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Fotolia_65349056_S.jpg 849w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="750" /></div> </header><section class="entry-content clearfix" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #565656; font-family: Signika, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; zoom: 1;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: center;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Richard Nicastro, PhD, examines how the sexual intimacy stakes rise when you fall in love.  He highlights the conditions that either encourage or discourage trust in a committed relationship.</em></strong></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> When love becomes part of the relationship landscape, when the other starts to <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">matter</i> to you, then how they respond takes on a heightened importance. And once love is set into motion, the more you are moved to share and give of yourself to your partner, the more vulnerable you become. Now trust becomes increasingly important to the workings of your relationship.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Trust isn’t just a concept couples must learn about—rather, it’s a subjective experience that must be repeatedly lived and <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">felt</i>.<i style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </i>When trust is experienced in this way, the relationship offers a secure space for the couple, a space that offers solace and opportunities for deeper sharing and connection. Once <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">mutually</i> established, trust can then quietly recede into the background of the relationship where it continues to support the couple, offering comfort and stability, allowing each person to take the risks necessary for meaningful emotional and sexual expression and connection.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">There are conditions that enhance or violate trust.</strong></div> <h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Sanchez, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.125em; font-weight: 400; margin: 1em 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"> </h3> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Trust requires certain relationship conditions in order to take hold, and when these conditions are violated, when the foundation of trust is shaken, anxieties and insecurities awaken. The intensity of your trust-insecurities may periodically intrude or they may blanket every aspect of your relationship. A lack of trust (or trust that is doubted/questioned) is emotionally disruptive to all involved, and for emotional and sexual intimacy to be (re)established, trust must first be established.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Pro-trust Conditions</strong></div> <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 1em 0px 1em 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.5em;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">accepting / encouraging</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">sensitive / concerned</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">emotionally open</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">responsive / engaged</span></li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">committed / reliable</span></li> </ul> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Anti-trust Conditions</strong></div> <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 1em 0px 1em 1.5em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.5em;"> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">critical / judgmental</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">aloof / indifferent</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">defensive / closed-off</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">unresponsive / detached</li> <li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">erratic / unpredictable<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em;">            </span></li> </ul> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> These behaviors (both pro- and anti-trust) take on particular significance when they come from the person you love and care for. The loved spouse/partner has particular power and influence over you—the power to help you feel secure and connected as well as intensely insecure and anxious. When trust conditions are violated, couples often shift from a secure to an insecure-anxious way of relating (even when anger predominates, the anger is often fueled by undercurrents of anxiety about losing the other).</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: center;"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Having sex with someone I didn’t really know or care about was easy. It’s when I fell in love that sex became amazing and dangerous at the same time. All of a sudden, trust and the potential for betrayal became relevant.”</em>~Eric, 33 years old</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> During sex, the stakes are always elevated because sexual intimacy is inherently risky emotional business—that is, the level of emotional vulnerability evoked with someone you deeply care about presents both the potential for intimate sharing and authentic contact and, when things go awry, emotional wounding and withdrawal. And during these heightened-vulnerability circumstances, your best intentions may not be enough to circumvent painful misunderstandings.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Having conversations about the conditions you and your partner each need to enhance trust is important in making these conditions <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">explicitly</i> known to you both. Using the above list of pro- and anti-trust conditions can be a good starting point to jump-start such a discussion. Remember, when trust is solidified, the couple enters an orbit of emotional security surrounding the marriage/relationship, a security that allows for the potential of deeper emotional sharing and sexual exploration and expression.</div> </section>

Trust: A Critical Component of Sexual Intimacy in Committed Relationships

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