1. Love your significant other for better or worse.
"Find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out of your ass."
- Mac MacGuff, Juno
I really love this quote from the movie, Juno. Reality is, relationships aren't always going to be rainbows and butterflies. There will be times wherein all you want to do is strangle each other. There will be moments wherein you'll disappoint each other. And, there will be days wherein you don't look your best. But, in times that you want to strangle each other, always choose peace. Don't go to bed without patching things up. If you can go to sleep knowing that the person you love is crying and hurting because of you, then maybe you don't really love that person as much as you think you do. And in moments you get disappointed or you unintentionally disappoint your partner, apologize and forgive each other. Everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are meant to win yourself new lessons, not lose relationships. In days that they don't look their best, you will still, as what Mac MacGuff said, "think that the sun shines out of his/her ass".
Love is a commitment, not a feeling. If you only stay during the good times, then you don't deserve him/her. If you love a person, you should love the complete package - good and bad.
2. Make time together a priority.
A person is never too busy. If a person wants to spend time with you, they will make time for you. No excuses. If the person you love prefers to spend most of his/her time on other people or other things, truth be told, you are not that person's top priority. But of course, don't expect your significant other to talk to you 24/7. Don't lash out on your loved one if they haven't replied in a minute or two. Remember, people have school or work too! Don't be the kind of person who revolves their whole life around the person they love. Yes, you're in a relationship. But also keep in mind that there are things you just have to do separately.
Invest time in your relationship. Remember, time is gold!
3. Be around people who will strengthen your relationship.
Just like what Jim Rohn once said, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You are who you surround yourself with, right? If you suddenly and constantly surround yourself with people who have different beliefs, values or character as compared to you, there will come a point wherein tables will turn and suddenly your beliefs, values and character are similar to theirs. It can be as simple as liking rock music in the past and suddenly loving EDM. Or, it can be swearing in your past that it's immoral to take drugs and then suddenly your values shift and you think it's okay if you just do it occasionally. So, what does this have to do with your relationship? When you change, you may not be on the same page with your partner anymore. I'm not saying change is bad. Change is inevitable and necessary. Question is, are you changing for the better? Re-evaluate the people around you. Do they help you become a better person or is it the other way around?
Admit it or not, the advises and opinions of other people affect the decisions of a person. That's why we seek for other people's advice, don't we? There's always two sides to a story. Only you and your partner completely know what is going on between the both of you. Find your Krizzy (Dimples Romana) in your Popoy-Basha relationship or your Lily (Alyson Hannigan) in your Ted-whoever relationship (lol). There will be friends who will give you sound advice, and there will be friends who will give you advice that may seem right but you will end up regretting in 10 years time. Do they help build your relationship up? Or do they make you doubt your relationship? Seek advice from people whose relationships you admire.
4. Always create wonderful memories with each other.
You don't always have to go on luxurious trips to create wonderful memories. It can be as simple as going to the park, having a picnic, and talking about anything under the sun. Just don't let your dates be monotonous and uneventful. Always find a reason to smile and laugh with each other. In relation to that, if your significant other is feeling down, make an effort to turn that frown upside down. Know his/her love language (time, service, touch, gifts and words).
5. And when things go rocky...
Always remember that relationships last because they chose to fight for it. Keep in mind that no relationship is perfect. Heck, no individual is perfect. You're not perfect. So don't expect your partner to be one. You don't stay in love by chance. Two people stay in love because they work hard for it. They work through all the good and the bad. It's a decision you both have to make. And if one of you fell out of love, it isn't by chance. It's by choice. If it has to come to that point already, it's time to let go and move on. Don't settle for anything less because someday you will meet someone who will love you and you will love unconditionally. God is preparing you and your significant other so that in His perfect timing, when you both meet, you will complement each other.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
Corinthians 13:4-8
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