• (1) Negotiation is a terrible tactic. People change because of internal motivation. There are no binding agreements: you need to expect a backfire.
• (2) Chemistry („the spark“) is a phase that cannot last forever. When that’s the bedrock of your relationship, then there’s not much beneath it.
• (3) Some of the strongest relationships are in people that are fundamentally friends. Question to ask: would I still be friends with her/him if I wasn’t infatuated? If your friends don’t like her/him, that’s a red flag.
• (4) Duration is a bad measure of a relationship’s quality
• (5) How honest can you be with your partner? Secrets and half truths will start to cause you two to grow apart. Resentment festers when you cannot be open and clear.
• (6) Never ever give up your friendships because of a relationship. If you cut friends out, you will suffer. Don’t be co-dependent.
• (7) You need to show you work emotionally. Share how you are thinking of the situation instead of just acting it out: communicate!

Photo by João Silas on Unsplash