Without this, relationships can fall apart

Before you enter into a relationship, it's important that two conditions be met: (1) You love yourself, and (2) You feel happy and content without a partner.

Relationship satisfaction is closely tied to personal life satisfaction, so the happier a person is in general, the happier he or she is likely to be in a relationship.

Don't rely on a partner to make your life great; your life should already be great regardless of whom you're dating.

If you don't love yourself, you'll always feel as though something is missing in your life -- even if your partner professes to love you to the moon and back.

It isn't fair to depend on anyone else to fill that void. And why should they?

A relationship isn't meant to "complete" you. A relationship isn't intended to "fulfill" you. It's meant to enrich your life.

You're your own person with or without a partner. Just because you're single doesn't mean you enjoy eating a delicious scoop of ice cream, watching a romantic flick, or gazing at the stars any less.

Would it be nice to have a partner with whom to celebrate special occasions like Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Valentine's Day?

Sure it would. But as long as you're enjoying life through your hobbies, passions, and friendships, it's only a matter of time before a worthy suitor comes into your life and joins you for the ride.

A lot is made of terms like "soulmate" and "other half," which suggest that (1) you're ideally suited for only one person in the world, and (2) they're the missing piece of the puzzle that is your life. Wrong on both fronts.

You can be compatible with a number of people whose goals, lifestyle, and personality align nicely with yours. To say that just one person in the whole universe can fit the bill seems rather misguided.

You may think that way because you were fortunate enough to spend your entire life with the same man, for example. But people's experiences will vary, and some end up having fruitful relationships will different people at different stages of their lives.

You don't need a partner to be happy with yourself, but you do need to love and be happy with yourself in order to reap the fruits of a relationship.

Your partner isn't responsible for your happiness. You are.

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