No matter who you are as a couple; no matter how long you’ve been together and no matter how many trials you have overcome in your relationship, you still aren’t going to be immune from the insecurities about the future. This feeling of uncertainty and insecurity is only going to intensify whenever you start to see people your age get married and make those lifelong commitments to one another. You will be forced to reexamine the relationship that you’re in and whether or not you have what it takes to actually go the distance as well.
Remember, being in a relationship with someone for a really long time is considered to be a really big deal. It has undoubtedly changed who you are as an individual (hopefully for the better). Your relationship in itself has probably evolved over time and you’ve seen how these evolutions have significantly changed how you choose to live your life and I may have even altered your philosophies on life and love as well. Love is a powerful force and it has the power to dramatically reorganize the makeup of our souls into something else entirely. And that’s why it’s important for us to choose to be with a person who is able to change us for the better; a person who really forces us to become the best possible versions of ourselves. You are essentially going to have to share your entire life with this person and that’s all the parts of your life, both the light and the dark. And you’re both going to have to reconcile the parts of your life that are irreconcilable. And the better that you make things work between the two of you, the stronger your relationship is going to become.
But still, given that, relationships are never going to be easy. They are going to demand lots of time, effort, and commitment from you. And you always want to make sure that you are all-in with your relationships so you can make them work. But you also want to make sure to protect yourself and not attach yourself entirely to something that isn’t really built to last. When you fall in love, you give yourself wholeheartedly to that love, but only if the love shows promise. And how do you know if a love really shows promise? How do you know if a love is going to be worthy of all of your time and dedication? How do you know if a love is really built to last? Here are a few signs you could be on the lookout for.
1. No one is above the other in the relationship.
The best kinds of relationships are always those that are formed on equal footing. There is no dependency on the other. There is no abuse or manipulation. There is just an equal exchange of love and affection.
2. You share similar values and principles in life.
It’s very important that the both of you have shared values in life. Having fundamentally contradicting values and principles can make for some very irreconcilable differences in the relationship. And it could drastically lower your compatibility levels
3. You always include one another when considering future plans.
You don’t make future plans without first thinking about your partner. You know that when you think of the future, your partner is going to be there with you right by your side.
4. You always think of one another even when you’re not together.
Thoughtfulness is always a good thing to have in a relationship. You are always mindful of your partner even when you’re not together. And you show this mindfulness by doing errands or getting gifts for your partner for no reason other than to make them happy.
5. You have very constructive and healthy arguments.
Arguments are going to be present in any relationship. But the best couples are those who always know how to argue constructively and maturely. They are those who don’t stoop to personal attacks or nonconstructive comments.
6. You aren’t afraid to talk about anything.
Communication is another very important aspect of a relationship. There is no way a relationship is ever going to last until the couple in question is able to talk freely to one another about absolutely anything under the sun.
7. You both have your individual lives outside of the relationship.
Your entire life shouldn’t be dependent on whether you’re in a relationship or not. Sure, you love one another and you play very important roles in each other’s lives. But you should both still be thriving in a life outside of your relationship.
8. You find home in one another.
You always find some kind of peace and comfort in the presence of the person that you’re with. You really know that despite all of the hardships in the world, you can always find security in your relationship.
9. You are both willing to make compromises for the sake of the relationship.
No matter how much you want something for yourself, you are selfless enough to always put your relationship’s needs above your own. That’s what real compromise looks like and that’s why your relationship is built to last.
