Secret Thoughts, Desires, Dating

10 Ways to Keep Love Blooming Over Time

Relationships are dynamic… Couples who expect their passion to last forever, or their intimacy to remain unchallenged, are in for a disappointed

The trick is to build a more deeply-rooted love in the face of a host of obstacles. Here are 10 ways to keep love blooming over time:

1) Don’t expect perfection

Expecting perfection is one of the surest ways to doom a love relationship. When we’re caught in the throes of passionate, head-over-heels love, we tend to idealize our loved one. But when that love begins to transform itself into a more stable form, we can suddenly become aware of the many shortcomings in our partner that we had overlooked before.

2) Be flexible

The fine art of compromise is an important part of keeping love alive. People who mistake rigidity (and an insistence on always being right) for strength are usually not people who are well-loved.

3) Don’t substitute love for personal identity

The strongest, most durable relationships are usually those in which two individuals retain and foster their own individuality. Don’t try to engulf your lover; if you let your own identity become subsumed by your relationship, chances are the relationship will be diminished.

4) Pursue personal interests 

The love you share with your partner may be a great source of strength, stability and support, but if you allow your personal life to fade away, you lose an important source of vitality and an opportunity to fulfill needs that may not