Being in a healthy, loving relationship is something each and every one of us dreams of having in our lives, but do we really know what it means to be in this kind of relationship? Ponder these characteristics as you evaluate your current relationship’s health.
1. You don’t depend on your partner for your happiness.
Whether you are with your partner or away from him/her, you continue to be happy and you continue to enjoy life to the fullest. Your happiness is self-generated and you’re not depending on the other person to feel good.
2. You are more concerned with giving than getting.
You are both great givers, offering so much but without keeping score. And you give, not because you want to receive something in return, but because you’re both overflowing with love and it feels right to share your beautiful love with the other person.
3. You don’t “play games” with each other.
In a healthy and loving relationship, there is no lying, cheating, manipulating, punishing, hiding or pretending. You play no games with each other and you treat one another the same way you would like to be treated—with love, honesty, appreciation and respect.
4. You give each other the freedom to be yourself unapologetically.
In a world where so many people try to fix, change and control the person they are in a relationship with, you and your partner give one another the gift of freedom, allowing each other to be yourself freely, openly and unapologetically.
5. You give each other SPACE.
Since you understand that a happy and fulfilling relationship is built by two happy and fully functioning individuals, you give each other the necessary space, time and distance to express yourself, be yourself and do the things that each and every one of you wants and needs to do. You give each other the necessary space and time to replenish, revive and renew yourself.
6. You take the time to acknowledge and appreciate each other.
When so many couples blame and criticize each other for the things that go wrong in their relationships and in their own lives, you two praise and acknowledge one another constantly, honestly and openly. You focus on the good traits of the other person and not on the negative ones, praising and reinforcing the positive behavior instead of the negative one.
