Every relationship is different. That's a given. Each individual in a relationship requires different things, and the two try to find an equal balance. While one person's relationship may consist of messing around and being silly most of the time, another person's relationship may be extremely protective and lovey-dovey. Most people seem to have a balance of both. But regardless of what extreme your relationship falls on, there are three qualities every single relationship should have: respect, trust, and communication.
Quality 1: Respect
When you are in a relationship with someone, there are definitely similarities between the two of you. There are activities you two enjoy doing together and there are opinions that you both share. But also, at the same time, there are many things that you two may disagree on. And, that is completely normal. Just because you are in a relationship with someone doesn't mean you have to agree on everything. (In fact, that is kind of unhealthy because to an extent, you are losing your individualism.) However, you need to respect the differences between the two of you. Differences in hobbies, beliefs, goals, preferences, personalities, and everything else need to be respected.
You should listen to your partner when they are telling you about something that you do not necessarily have an interest in. You should encourage them to follow their goals and hobbies, even if they do not align with yours. But, if they do collide with yours, then you should have a conversation with them and come up with a compromise. You should always value their feelings. In addition, you need to respect the space between the two of you. When you're in love, you want to spend all the time together and make tons of memories. But, it is just as important to spend time away from each other. This space gives you time to reflect on yourself and the relationship. It gives you time to spend with your friends and family. I know most of these things seem so obvious and are common sense, but many people forget about actually applying them in their relationship.
Quality 2: Trust
Along with respect, trust is fundamental to build a strong foundation for any relationship. But, the trust also has to continue throughout the years. A relationship is a commitment that you and your partner need to set the guidelines for and those guidelines need to be followed throughout the years.
There are two parts to trust: being trustworthy and trusting your partner.
1. Being trustworthy
When you get into a relationship with someone, there are a few things they automatically expect from you, such as your attention, time, and loyalty. Your partner wants to be the special one in your life, just as much as you do in their life. And, it is your responsibility to make them feel that way. There are many things you could do, such as planning a romantic dinner or simply just making time for them in your busy schedule. But for all those plans to be successful, you need to gain the trust of your partner, and through your actions and words, you need to maintain that trust. Being trustworthy consists of, but is not limited to: not flirting with other people, telling your partner the truth regardless of the consequences, and keeping their secrets to yourself.
2. Trusting your partner
Like most things in the world, trust also works both ways. You need to allow space between the two of you, and during that time, you should be able to breathe freely without having any negative thoughts about what your partner is doing. You have to trust their words. For example, if your partner tells you that they are busy and cannot talk to you at the moment, you have to believe them and understand that they will come back to talk to you as soon as they can. Also, in relationships, insecurities and jealousy are common. When you care so much about a person, there might be factors that may make you worry. But, you have to trust your partner and their loyalty towards you. If you do have any questions or wandering thoughts, don't just assume and/or accuse. Go have a conversation with your partner about it.
Quality 3: Communication
Lastly, communication leads to a very healthy relationship. You have to communicate about everything, from the things you love about each other to the things that bother you the most. Communicating the good, happy things is usually very easy. You tell them how they make you happy, what they did to make you smile so much, and all the good stuff. But communicating the problems and differences is usually hard for most people. There's always a fear deep down in your heart. What if, just what if, this is it and we can't work things out. I understand that. However, it is important to talk it all out before things start to build up and you explode on them one day. When things build up, the small things that are bothering you start to become more substantial, and an even bigger fight occurs. It is just healthier to sit down and talk about the thing that is upsetting you and find some kind of solution which would work for the both of you. It will make your relationship even stronger. Also, if your partner is unwilling to listen to you about the problem or unwilling to come to some solution, that is a red flag.
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Respecting each other for your similarities and differences, maintaining trust throughout the years, and communicating about everything will lead to a healthy, long-lasting relationship.
