Real love is hard. It’s mature. It’s complicated. To find true love, you should know these hard truths!
1. Your soulmate will not be perfect. Neither will you be perfect. There will be misunderstandings between you two. There will be arguments. There will be mistakes. What really matters in a relationship is not perfection, but how you handle your imperfections – in a reasonable and respectful way.
2. When you disagree, remember that you are both on the same team. You should be fighting against a problem, not against each other.
3. It is important to learn how to be bored together. You don’t have to be on the go all the time, doing things, planning things, having fun. From time to time, it is good to sit and do nothing. Don’t talk to each other – and enjoy the relaxed feeling.
4. A relationship is not all about fun – in fact, it often may be hard work. You won’t stay in love forever. Routine will set in and that’s when the real relationship begins.
5. Sometimes you can give your best and it still won’t be enough for someone.
6. It is not enough to love. If you want lasting love, you have to constantly put in the effort.
7. During a conflict, don’t say something you will regret later. Fights are temporary, but people don’t forget hurtful words.
8. Your partner should also be your best friend.
9. Don’t cheat. Never cheat. If you don’t want to be with a person anymore, tell them.
10. Accept when you are wrong and accept that your partner will not always admit that they are wrong. Accept apologies, accept compliments.
11. If you have doubts that the person you are with is not the right partner for you, then this is clearly a pretty good sign that they are not. If you question your relationship more than once, then it’s not worth the effort. Move on and find true happiness.
12. Don’t argue if you’re hungry or tired. Don’t argue if you are distracted by something else. Don’t argue by texting. Don’t argue about things neither of you can control. Take a nap, eat something, let it go. If there’s still a problem, then patiently discuss it and try to resolve it.
13. Don’t forget healthy boundaries. It’s important to support each other when one of you is going through a hard time. It is not healthy, however, to take on each other’s burdens.
“Everyone says love hurts, but that is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Losing someone hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love, but in reality love is the only thing in this world that covers up all pain and makes someone feel wonderful again. Love is the only thing in this world that does not hurt.” ― Meša Selimović