#4 Treat your love like a cherished friendship

Do you have a best friend a best friend that’s either in your life now or in your childhood. Do you shout at your best friend? Do you call them names when they don’t do what you ask? Do you get defensive when they suggest a different way to do something? If your answer is no, then you know what its like to love someone with respect and boundaries. In many cases we treat our friends with more courtesy and respect than our partners in life. Because we must respect the boundaries a friendship requires we tend to regulate our emotional outbursts. Our partners however, don’t always have it as easy; we don’t always grant them the same amount of self-control. We get so close to our partners that, overtime, we take for granted the subtle boundaries that need to be in place to have a peaceful and loving relationship. Treat your loved one as you would your best friend and watch your relationship bloom.

“The happiest couples relate to each other with respect, affection, and empathy. They choose their words carefully, avoiding the most poisonous relationship behaviors-criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling – and feel emotionally connected.”
John Gotten, Ph. D., cofounder of the Gotten Institute in Seattle and author of 10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage

Love, peace and unity from Love Paper Pen