How to Have a Long and Happy Relationship

This is your easy universal guide to maintaining a long and happy relationship together with your love. This is about many things--but it is never about being one sided or demanding. Don't allow yourself to be a control freak or fearful and paranoid, but be open and cheerful. It's about how the two of you do this and continue it...

Choose your partner wisely.

Having similar tastes, hobbies, temper and goals in life is very important even though you will be opposite in some nice ways. If you two have different relationship goals, you should try to find different partners. It will eventually lead to mild and even harsh conflicts, but even these type of conflicts will help both you and your significant other at the time decide what they really want in a relationship, nothing is ever a waste of time. But without compatibility in your basics it is very hard to maintain a happy relationship. If one is always "going, rushing and imagining" but the other (no matter how lovely) always wants to "stay, stop or forget it all"--it is very hard to be together and make things work for long run.

Be honest about everything always.

Even in the smallest matter. Being honest is the most important thing in a relationship. Secrets or dishonesty is like poisonous venom from a deadly snake that will bite you both... when it comes crawling out and it will.

Never cheat on your partner.

Imagine what you would feel if they cheated on you. Would you really want them to feel that way? Could you ruin every month/year you've spent together? Could you break their heart? Keep in mind, that cheating could do permanent damage to your partners self confidence and could ruin their love life completely forever. You will never be trusted again, no matter how you excuse yourself.

Be open and informative as much as you can.

Privacy is something that couples need to be completely open about and know exactly what the other expects from them and talk about the issues that you might have. As the relationship continues and those initial boundaries are changing then revise them and eventually in a perfect relationship would have absolutely nothing private from there other, but nothing is perfect so beyond absolutely everything make sure to talk to your partner in full about things and respect the others wishes.

Respect the needs of your partner.

Keep your wants balanced with theirs. This way no one gets constant advantage. But everyone stays happy.

Keep their birthday and your anniversary in mind. This is really important!

Do something extra-special

If you want to make them happy, do something you know they like, or something they always wanted to do but never could. Don't feel like you need a reason to do something for them, things completely out of the blue are sometimes exactly what the other wants. Doing something together is always the best choice though.

Starting a relationship

Never start a relationship if you yourself are not ready for one. Be sure that you can give everything that you can towards that other person while you are in the relationship if it doesn't work down the road do not look at it as a "waste of time", instead look at it a learning experience for both of you, in both things that you look for in another person and also things that you feel you might want to work on for your own self gain in future relationships from the things that you have learned from the previous.

Never start or maintain a relationship based on:

Fear or pity--It will never work. If you can't get out of it alone, ask for help from parents and authorities!

Loneliness or despair--That also will never work. When people start relationships out of loneliness--instead of healthy attraction--they often feel inferior, ignored, and pitied.

Financial or material interest--Such as being a provider, servant or a sex object. These are things that no other person should feel from someone they might love.

Ignorance: not knowing and loving each other--Love is not something that will join you on the way or grow on incompatible people (it has to be in you both). Despite all the stories you might have heard, maturing and enduring love can be lifelong. It is a matter of good choices originally and building on that foundation together and both actually like being together.

Opinions or ideals of others--Never let anyone tell you how you "should handle" your relationship. No one knows the two of you more than you and your partner. They can only see the outside, and they do have different ideas about what is a good relationship.

Envy or professional jealousy--If you really love each other you should be proud of the success or achievement of the other's goals--not envious or dismissive.

Friends or relatives needs or wants--Those other people should never be more important than your partner--and probably not even nearly as important except in a rare (and extreme) emergency.