5 Keys to a Successful Relationship

In today’s time, divorce rate is higher than ever. People decide to get married, but the truth is that most of them don’t make it through thick and thin. Good relationships require good partners, which is why finding the right person can be such a challenge. But even when you do find that special someone that you could see yourself being with for the rest of your life, the challenge isn’t over yet. It is important to keep working at the relationship long after you decide you’re perfect for each other. Obstacles can and will come up in the road of life and it is important to know how to deal with them together.

So what are the 5 keys to a successful relationship?

1) Compromise – Although it is debatable, many people will agree that one of the most important things in a relationship (if not the single most important thing) is compromise. Every couple thinks that they are perfect together at the beginning, but eventually you will come across some difficulties. The best thing to do when these come across is to try to work together. You can’t always have your way and neither can your spouse. If you always got your way on everything, it wouldn’t be an exciting adventure together anyway. This does not mean however to be a pushover; stand your ground on the things you are absolutely set on (but be kind when explaining why you believe so; you don’t have to be judgmental or hurtful), but don’t stand your ground on every little thing or your spouse could end up with some serious bottled up frustrations. Keep an open mind, listen to his/her ideas as well and work together instead of against each other.

2) Communication – People in serious relationships often say that they feel very in-sync with the other person, constantly on the same mental wavelength. This can be largely accredited to communication. It is absolutely critical to tell each other what is on your mind and why. It is even more important to listen. When you have something on your mind and you don’t talk about it, it will stay hidden deep inside your body until it will eventually burst out in the form of a fight, or in an indirect manner such as an affair or an addiction. When you do end up talking to each other, remember to do it respectfully; your spouse doesn’t want to hear accusations. If you do want to talk about something directly related to your relationships, try to say it in a manner which will not offend the other person; sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it that really make s the difference.

3) Respect – A healthy relationship is one where both partners fully respect each other and their decisions even if they may not necessarily agree with them. Respect each other’s privacy and space as well.

4) Being there for each other – This aspect of the relationship isn’t talked about as frequently as the core one-word values of respect, trust etc, but it is so important. Being a couple means that no matter what you will stand by each other. I watched a movie a little while ago called John Q. Basically, John’s son had a heart failure and needed surgery immediately but they could not afford it. In a desperate attempt to save his son’s life, John brought a gun into the hospital, barricaded himself inside and threatened to kill if nothing would be done about his son. The one part that really got me in the movie was that when the police went and talked to his wife (who had no idea John had done this at the time), even though she was thoroughly shocked at his behaviour, stood behind him completely. This is the kind of raw dedication to each other that I’d like to point out. Be there for each other if you have a bad day, stand up for each other if anyone tries to tear your partner down. Even if you don’t agree with what your partner has done, it is important to understand that you are one together.

5) Honesty and Trust – I grouped honesty and trust together in one point because they go hand in hand; without honesty there can be no trust, without trust there will be no honesty. It is important to have both in order to have a successful relationship.