How to Make Love Last Happily Ever After

Valentines Day has come and gone, so now how do make your love last through the year and beyond? There are certain steps that couples should take to turn you and me into a we. Here are some tips and suggestions for doing just that. By following these steps you will be on your way to having a fantastic relationship

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• an open mind

1. 
    

   ~ Find a shared dream for your life~
   It's very easy to get caught up in day to day activities of life like: What's for dinner tonight? Whose turn is it to clean the bathroom? Did you pay the water bill? But the key is to never lose sight of the fact that you are working together to achieve a bigger dream. Figure out a shared vision, for example: We want to plan to buy a house, we want to take a vacation to such-and-such a place, we like to do X, we think we want to start a family at Y time. Talk about this often with partner. Be prepared to compromise on what you want it to happen.

2. ~ Chose each other as your family~
   For a long time you were primarily a member of the family you grew up in. Then you got married, and you became the foundation of a new family. This can be difficult transition but it's also an important part of building your image as a duo. For me, making this transition meant stopping the complaining to my friends when I was mad at my husband. I had to learn to talk to my husband, not about him. For him it was agreeing with me no matter what his mother says. Whatever your challenges are you have to outline together the boundaries between you and the rest of your family. You feel stronger as a united front and have an even closer bond.

3. 
    

   ~ Learn how to fight right~
   Fighting is something every couple will have to deal with. The key is to learn how to do it without tearing each other apart or putting each other down. Instead of throwing things or storming out, learn to listen to each other's point of view respectfully even if you don't agree. Most people don't want to argue they just want their point of view to be understood. One way to a quick recovery is a speedy apology.

4. 
    

   ~Find a balance between time for you and time together.
   Every couple is different on how much time they need to spend together and be apart. You love doing things together but sometimes you need some alone time too. Doing some activities alone will help maintain your identity within your relationship. Set aside time for shared activities and non-shared ones. This will help you find the right mixture. This will help to keep your connection strong.

5. ~ Build a best friendship ~
   Think about the things that make your closest friendships irreplaceable: the trust that comes with true intimacy, the willingness to be vulnerable, confidence that the friendship can withstand some conflict. Don't those sound like good things to have in your relationship with your significant other, too? Partners should be able to count on the other person to listen and try to meet their needs. When you're true friends, you acknowledge and respect who the other person is, you don't try to control or change them. This lets them know that they are valued by you.

6. 
    

   ~ Face a major challenge together ~
   Life is going along smoothly and suddenly you hit a huge bump. A job loss, a serious illness, losing a home, a death in the family. How do you cope with that? The reality is these things are going to happen, and you never know how strong your relationship is until it's tested. All too often, the stress of a crisis can pull a couple apart. The good news is, when you do make it through, you might just find yourselves being tighter than ever.

[Addonis]

on 2/24/2009 great work 5*GGTGG