Advice For Long Lasting Relationships

You know, like most of us, I hate to see the people I love make mistakes and be

unhappy in their relationships. This is particularly hard to watch when the signs are so obviously there and the people I care about just refuse to see them. That is one of the first pieces of advice for long lasting relationship I would give: don't be afraid to see what is wrong right from the start.

Whether we want to believe, or admit it, most of the time we can clearly see what the potential issues are going to be in a relationship after the first few weeks or months. The problem is that most of us are in the early stages of love and we don't want to see the warning signs... so we don't. 

We turn a blind eye to the obvious problems. Then, over time, those problems become harder and harder to ignore. We "pretend" like we were blindsided, but

that is usually not the case.

The best advice for long lasting relationship I can give is to be willing to see and objectively consider the impact that these issues will have on your relationship over time. That way, you can decide if you should end things early on before you get in too deep and before there is a lot of pain to either one of you. 

Now one thing that I need to point out is that all relationships, even the good ones, will have their challenges. No one is saying that your relationship will be or needs to be perfect. 

What I am talking about are those big issues that you know, if you would only admit it to yourself, will cause a lot of pain, anger and frustration over the long term. Ignoring these things will make your life a lot harder and it is unnecessary.

Here are some of the things I mean: 

1. Honesty. If you value honesty above all else and you start dating someone who isn't hesitant about throwing out the "little white lie" on occasion you know that over time that will drive you crazy. That is not something you want to ignore. More than that someone who will tell "white lies" will usually also be pretty adept at telling much bigger and more harmful lies. 

Lying isn't something to be taken lightly. It's a lot more than just the lie itself it's about honesty. Trusting your partner will play a huge role in any good relationship. If you know they are prone to lying you will learn to not trust them and then the relationship will unravel very quickly. 

2. Work ethic. If you want a partner who will be an equal partner don't ignore the signs early on that the new person in your life is lazy and content to allow you to carry more of the weight, whether that weight is emotional or the actual work that needs to be done around the house or on the job. 

You may be able to convince yourself that this is "cute" in the beginning but over time your resentment at having to carry so much of the load will erode whatever feelings you have for your partner. 

Don't ignore the warning signs early on. 

As you can see, this list is not what you would call "exhaustive". It is just a place to start. At the end of the day only you can decide which traits you can live with and which ones will be deal breakers. 

Don't expect anyone to be perfect, they won't be, and neither are you. But, you can find someone who really is "perfect" for you. By being realistic on those traits you can live with and those things you can't, and recognizing them early on, you can do more to ensure the longevity and happiness of all your relationships. 

You don't have to settle and this advice for long lasting relationship will help you focus on those things that really matter.