The keys ingredients to a healthy relationship are respect, love, trust, individuality, patience, compromise, setting goals as a couple, and intimacy.

1. Respect is a two way street, you must respect your partner if you want them to respect you. Respect their thoughts, dreams, ambitions and their alone time. Treat them as you would want them to treat you when you discuss their ambitions or just their hobbies.

2. Love is one of those emotions that many people can turn on and off on a whim. If you are one of those type people, then your relationships will never go far. When you really love someone you take care to pay attention to their desires and their needs. If you turn off your love when your partner does not agree with you, then you are not acting out of love but out of selfishness. Selfishness does not belong in a relationship. When you become partners you should be one. That does not mean that the other person will always agree, but you should be able to see their point of view and work through the situation in a loving manner.

3. Trust the person that you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with. If you are always questioning their whereabouts or their motives, they will soon not want to come home and be put under the microscope.

4. Let them be themselves. Individuality is very important for each person to attain. Just because they are your partner does not mean that you were joined at the hip on your wedding day. Let your spouse go play golf, go shopping or enjoy other hobbies that make this person the one that you fell in love with. If you take away their individuality, they will no longer be that person, but someone you have molded them into. They will become unhappy and so will you.

5. Patience is one ingredient that many couple seems to ignore. But, you are beginning a life together. You both have your own little habits that may annoy one another, but if you have patience and discuss these annoying habits you both will be able to overcome and share your life together. We all grow in a relationship and growing means change, have patience with each other as your marriage or relationship blossoms and grows.

6. Compromising is one tough subject for anyone. Who really wants to compromise at all? Let’s say you both want to watch television at the same time on each Sunday night but on different channels. This can be very difficult to decide, but you can take turns each Sunday or invest in another television. There are always ways in which you can compromise that will keep both of you happy.

7. Settings goals together as a couple as where you both see yourselves in the next 5, 10, or 15 years is a great way to discover where you really want to be. Do you both see children or a large new home? What ever your goals are, you should plan your future together so you both can contribute.

8. You may think intimacy will always be there and you both will desire each other just like the day you met. But, as work, children, and other stresses become more dominant intimacy seems to take a back seat. Do not let this happen! Intimacy is a very important part in any relationship. We all need to be held and know that we are loved. Find time even if it is just stolen minutes for a hug and kiss. Plan evenings for more romantic intimacies.

When you respect and love each other just as you would want your spouse to you, most other problems will work themselves out and your relationship will be one that lasts a very long time.

For more relatio nship tips, please visit us at Helpful Home Ideas.