How to Deal with that Crazy Little Thing called Love
It takes more than love to make a relationship work. Find out the other ingredients which make love last.
‘Love,’ as Ewan McGregor declares in Moulin Rouge, ‘is like oxygen - love is a many splendored thing- love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!’
Love clichés are everywhere, especially this time of year. But no cliché is more popular than this crazy idea that ‘all you need is love’. The Beatles wrote a hit song about it, and countless Hollywood rom-coms are made purely to sell you this idea that love is easy and all you need to have a successful relationship. But it’s not quite that simple is it?
The problem with love is that it’s a strange and fickle thing. It is deeply emotional, both passionate and intense, and as the old adage goes, there’s only a thin line between love and hate. Things are complicated even further by all the clichés about love which have been engrained in us since we were young.
It’s no surprise we get caught up in the romantic euphoria of the moment and sometimes forget that relationships aren’t scripted out of Disney movies or love songs. In real life, relationships rely on fundamental skills such as compromise, communication, commitment and trust. They are the building blocks of any partnership and the key to making love last longer than credit reel after the movie’s over!
Compromise
The willingness to bend and be flexible is essential in any relationship. It may sound disagreeable, particularly to independent people who are accustomed to doing things their way; but the truth is that no relationship ever got anywhere without a little compromise.
Commitment
In one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets he declares that ‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.’ He recognises that love is not love unless it can withstand all obstacles and hardships. What Shakespeare is telling us is that without commitment to each other, love isn’t true or real. In the real world things aren’t always going to be easy but if you and your partner are committed, then you will make it through the good and bad times together.
Communication
The best couples keep talking and listening, even through the bad times. They continue to communicate and keep their relationship on track through dialogue and understanding. Not talking honestly to one another can lead to misunderstanding and fighting which is never pleasant.
Trust
The foundation of all successful and healthy relationships is trust. It’s the mortar that holds a relationship together when things seem to be falling apart. Having trust in your partner means believing that they will do the right thing and that they will be faithful and committed to you and your relationship.
Any betrayal of this trust can be fatal to a relationship and will test the bonds of commitment and communication between you and your partner.
All you need is love?
All relationships are different and require different skills and ingredients to make them work. It’s not just about love. Relationships require time and patience, compromise and communication and more than anything, trust and commitment to each other. All you need is love? Not quite. But love is a great place to start!
How to Deal with that Crazy Little Thing called Love
It takes more than love to make a relationship work. Find out the other ingredients which make love last.
‘Love,’ as Ewan McGregor declares in Moulin Rouge, ‘is like oxygen - love is a many splendored thing- love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!’
Love clichés are everywhere, especially this time of year. But no cliché is more popular than this crazy idea that ‘all you need is love’. The Beatles wrote a hit song about it, and countless Hollywood rom-coms are made purely to sell you this idea that love is easy and all you need to have a successful relationship. But it’s not quite that simple is it?
The problem with love is that it’s a strange and fickle thing. It is deeply emotional, both passionate and intense, and as the old adage goes, there’s only a thin line between love and hate. Things are complicated even further by all the clichés about love which have been engrained in us since we were young.
It’s no surprise we get caught up in the romantic euphoria of the moment and sometimes forget that relationships aren’t scripted out of Disney movies or love songs. In real life, relationships rely on fundamental skills such as compromise, communication, commitment and trust. They are the building blocks of any partnership and the key to making love last longer than credit reel after the movie’s over!
Compromise
The willingness to bend and be flexible is essential in any relationship. It may sound disagreeable, particularly to independent people who are accustomed to doing things their way; but the truth is that no relationship ever got anywhere without a little compromise.
Commitment
In one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets he declares that ‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.’ He recognises that love is not love unless it can withstand all obstacles and hardships. What Shakespeare is telling us is that without commitment to each other, love isn’t true or real. In the real world things aren’t always going to be easy but if you and your partner are committed, then you will make it through the good and bad times together.
Communication
The best couples keep talking and listening, even through the bad times. They continue to communicate and keep their relationship on track through dialogue and understanding. Not talking honestly to one another can lead to misunderstanding and fighting which is never pleasant.
Trust
The foundation of all successful and healthy relationships is trust. It’s the mortar that holds a relationship together when things seem to be falling apart. Having trust in your partner means believing that they will do the right thing and that they will be faithful and committed to you and your relationship.
Any betrayal of this trust can be fatal to a relationship and will test the bonds of commitment and communication between you and your partner.
All you need is love?
All relationships are different and require different skills and ingredients to make them work. It’s not just about love. Relationships require time and patience, compromise and communication and more than anything, trust and commitment to each other. All you need is love? Not quite. But love is a great place to start!