Someone stopped me one day and asked me the following question, "What makes a relationship work?" I replied, do you mean a personal relationship with one's spouse or significant other? "Yes." he replied with a rather despondent look on his forlorn face. I gave him my telephone number and asked him to call me in the evening. When I got home, I gave this matter some serious thought and came up with the following ideas that hopefully would assist others to have a successful personal relationship.

First and foremost, I honestly believe that love -- real true love for one's partner has to be the very foundation for any personal relationship that is going to stand the test of time. Once that real genuine love is there, couples can get over the difficult times.

Of course one needs to have respect for one's partner who may think differently to us in many areas of life; for example, I know a particular couple that have completely opposite spiritual beliefs, however, they get along just fine, and have in fact been together for a long, long time. Let's face it, a marriage or long term personal relationship is a most difficult situation for many people, however, it will only last when each partner has respect for the other's beliefs, even though they may not fully agree with them.

Next on my list is most definitely patience. Yes indeed, if you wish your personal relationship to last, you most definitely need to be an extremely patient person as you deal with day-to-day differences between you and your husband, wife or significant other in a way that does not cause serious problems, which could eventually result with the breakup of the relationship.

Now here's something that as far as I'm concerned is essential to have in life, and when it comes to a personal relationship, it is a must, believe me -- you need to have a really good sense of humor, so that when things get extremely difficult and your relationship is very strained, you can introduce some humor, laugh heartily, relax and continue on with your life. So there are just a few tips that hopefully will assist you with your personal relationship.

o Think about it!
Visit my website at: www.dpaulreilly.com.
Listen to "Time to Think" the radio program on STAR 106.5 FM at 8:55 a.m. & 6:20 p.m.

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