Ask any architect, educator or psychiatric professional the basis of producing anything of quality able to stand the test of time and they will point toward a strong foundation as the initial criteria. Without a solid foundation, nothing lasts. A scary aspect of foundation building centers around keeping every portion solid. A weak spot threatens the stability of the whole and leads to eventual collapse.
People acknowledge the wisdom of a strong foundation when building a house because of the physical nature of the foundation inherent to the structure. Establishing and maintaining a base for a relationship proves much trickier because individuals bring so much into their relationships from the way they have been raised, past hurts and their own need. Focusing on five key areas simplifies things while giving couples avenues for growth throughout the life of the relationships.
Respect
Mutual respect starts the process. It places a hedge around the couple by saying they value the other person. One of the greatest barriers to respect is setting aside the temptation of focusing on what a single partner treasures. In some ways, this should come naturally. As children, people receive training at a young age to get along with others, share and give others a chance to voice their beliefs and feelings. Respect needs to exist first to clear space for other pillars.
Trust
When forming a relationship, a sensation of safety where being hurt becomes drastically reduced causes both partners to feel wrapped in a warm blanket. Is it possible to develop a healthy relationship without trust? Absolutely not. Fear flourishes where partners are unable to trust one another. Even the smallest gap in the armor weakens the structure of the relationships making forward progress practically impossible.
Intimacy
This aspect within relationships come in many shades. Most couples may hear the word intimacy and immediately jump to the bedroom. This is a fraction of how true intimacy forms and displays itself. Couples who have been together for decades share the most intimate things with and without physical contact. Fortunately, the best way to be so close stems from being in a healthy relationship.
Communication
Is communication important in a relationship? Every relationship, whether romantic or not, never thrives without open communication. Couples who learn to speak from their heart, accept constructive criticism and seek to build up one another discover communication becomes easier. This aspect always takes work and operates ideally within a stable relationship.
Love
Out of a full heart, several of the other pillars can be supported. Love abounds when in a respectful, intimate, trusting and communicative environment. As a quality, love can act as the binding material drawing in and building up the other aspects of a healthy relationship.
Each of these qualities may exist alone in a relationship. Times occur when one needs to move to the foreground to address a concern. Regardless of the stage of the relationship, all five pillars need to be present if the couple intends to be close for a lifetime. Maintain respect, trust, intimacy, communication and love and the relationship will be strong enough to weather any storm.
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