Being in a relationship is not all smooth sailing, even when you find the perfect partner. The very idea of taking two separate people and merging them for the rest of their lives is absurd if you think about it, which is why that to make that merger as successful as possible, you both need to make an effort. Every relationship has its strengths but it also has its fair share of weaknesses, those weaknesses are manageable if you follow these 5 steps.
1.Patience
No one is perfect, not even the people you put on a pedestal. As human beings, we all have our failings and we all carry baggage – not just from past relationships but also from past experiences. Once you reach a certain age, usually in your early 30’s, you realize that you can’t force people to be better. The process of self-reflection is a personal journey; all you can do to help is to be devoted and patient with your partner. You can find constructive ways at helping them see where they fail but you can’t force them to be different, that they have to learn by themselves.
2.Communication
Communication is one of the most important parts of being in a relationship. Your partner isn’t psychic and neither are you so you have to find productive and constructive ways to communicate any issues you come across along the way – and trust me, there will be issues. We all have different personality types and different communication styles, like an ENTJ in relationships – they prefer intellectual debates, which might be challenging for an opposite personality type. Find the middle ground and keep your communication open and honest.
3.Understanding
The next important step is to be more understanding, we all learn different life lessons at different times because no two people are the same. We are all made up of different feelings, different experiences, and therefore different reactions to different situations. Give your partner space when they need it to explore the weaknesses they bring to your relationship and allow them the time to fix those weaknesses in a way that works for them, and ultimately for you both.
4.Tolerance
Some people may not fully understand the difference between understanding and tolerance, which I get. Understanding is when you can see things from their perspective, it is a fully empathetic characteristic whereas tolerance means you won’t always understand where your partner is coming from or why they feel a certain type of way, you just need to accept that without forming any kind of resentment towards them.
5.Love
One of the most constructive ways to strengthen the weaknesses in your relationship is to approach every situation with love. For example, my husband has a memory like a sieve – it’s not his choice, he just does. Now I could be a nagging wife and blame him every time he forgets something but that wouldn’t be a good show of love, nor would it do any good. Instead, I send him reminders for the important stuff and on the odd occasion when he does remember something on his own, it makes it that much more special to me.
