Relationships don't die of natural causes

Relationships don't die a natural death.

Their demise is brought on by selfishness, lies, neglect, and a lack of compassion and consideration toward one's partner.

In some relationships, only one partner is responsible for causing a rift, and in others, both partners are to blame.

Unfortunately, some people expect their partner to do all the heavy lifting, leaving the other physically, mentally, and emotionally drained and effectively running the relationship into the ground.

If people don't want to do their fair share, why enter into a relationship at all?

A relationship is a partnership between two individuals. Both of them invest in, maintain, and enhance the relationship so that each feels they're not just reaping benefits, but dispensing them to the other as well.

In most cases, both partners put in comparable effort in the early stages of dating as they're getting to know one another.

It's when complacency begins to set in that things get hairy. One person might start to coast while the other continues to go out of their way to please their partner.

Before you know it, the former is selfishly out to do whatever they please, completely indifferent to his or her partner's feelings. Lying and finger-pointing only serve to add fuel to the fire.

The injured party may opt to continue putting up with such behavior because he or she has low self-esteem, doesn't want to be alone, or hopes their partner will change their ways sooner or later.

Or, they may decide to give him or her a taste of their own medicine, treating their partner like garbage in kind.

Another possibility is that they may resolve to end the relationship for good.

Nevertheless, being ignored, taken for granted, disrespected, or lied to gets old after a while. No one should be subject to that kind of behavior.

If one doesn't feel they're emotionally mature enough for a relationship, there's no reason to commit to one. It'll only lead to arguments, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings.

Relationships are not for the faint of heart. They involve hard work and sacrifice. There are going to be days where you will wonder how you managed to find someone so wonderful, and days that will put the relationship to the test and make you question whether you picked the right person.

At the end of the day, if a relationship is meant to be, neither partner will give up on the other -- no matter their flaws or shortcomings.

If it's not meant to be, however, it won't die on its own -- it'll perish because one or both partners put themselves before the good of the relationship.

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...

The 1 good thing cheaters do for us

Nothing good could come of a relationship marred by infidelity, right? The heartache, the shock, the feeling of one's trust being violated. In the short-term, being cheated on can turn one's world upside down. But eventually, there may be a light awaiting the cheated at the end of the tunnel. If you really think about it, cheaters end up doing us a huge favor. In their selfishness and disloyalty, they end up showing us that we deserve better. If you're so unfortunate as to be a victim of such acts of betrayal, you can only hope the cheater is considerate enough to own up to their missteps. But we all know full well that, in many cases, the cheater is either caught in the act or leaves behind a trail of hints that ultimately culminates in their undoing. The more classy thing to do is to discuss their feelings openly with their partner before straying. If all talks lead to an impasse or a further escalation of tensions, both parties should take it as a ...

Search This Blog