Keys to Building a Solid and Healthy Relationship

The decision to have a healthy relationship is up to one person, and that person is you. If you're looking to build your relationship into a healthy one, you should work on that right from the beginning. It should be your main goal and you should communicate that to your partner so you both can be on the same page.

You cannot let 3rd party interference determine what goes on in your relationship. You should visualize you and your partner in a circle, that only you to can fit into. Anything coming in from the outside of that circle should be deemed poisonous, and will be handled with extreme caution. Although you will encounter people who want what's best for you, most people's advice works best for their situation and not yours. There are also those out there who don't want what's best for you, so you have to keep your ears heavily guarded.

All relationships have disagreements. But when you do, be able to agree to disagree. You should not resort to name calling or using information from someone's past to cause pain. When something is said, it cannot be taken back, no matter how sorry your are. It will also cause you to lose the trust of the other person. They may not trust telling you any of their personal feelings due to the fact that information may be used against them.

It's always good to include your partner in on major decisions. Even if it's a decision that will affect only you, your partner will think that you value their input if you ask them for advice. Even if you don't go with what they think, at lease you made them feel as though you were considering how they viewed your predicament.

Keep the communication line open. The best skill you can learn in a relationship is to listen. Most times you'll find that you and your partner are on the same page, just going about it a different way. And if you are disagreeing, then at least you'll know why they feel the way they do and you can respect that.

Finally, always be willing to forgive. It does no one any good to hold a grudge. If your partner does something that is hurtful to you, it's ok to make them aware. But you also have to be forgiving and move on. It's a lot more fun to be in love than to be in hate. If you feel that you can't get over what was done, consider either counseling or possibly ending the relationship. But this shouldn't be a hasty decision. It should be a last resort.