Developing and maintaining a healthy relationship requires a mutual desire to work together, and an equal amount of dedication to each other. Relationships are often difficult, even painful ways of relating to others; yet, recognizing that conflict is an innate characteristic of human existence, they allow you to accept that by virtue of their nature, relationships are dynamic. Relationships are forever changing because it is in our character to continually evolve throughout our lives. A healthy relationship involves accepting the inevitable transformations in each other and in the relationship, and using the changes as tools to grow together.Trust - Trust is the fundamental aspect in any relationship because all other characteristics are contingencies; trust is the foundation on which love, respect, communication and commitment are built. Developing trust can be an extremely difficult task, especially if you have experienced trust issues previously; nevertheless, it's impossible to progress in any healthy relationship without it. Being able to trust each other implicitly mitigates many of the potential troubles that you may experience in the future.
Commitment - Committing to a relationship means that you have an unqualified desire to maintain and improve the relationship. Commitment requires equality in willingness and deed; distinct inequality in regard to effort leads to resentment and future discord. There are times in the relationship when you will endure tremendous challenges of your love, your commitment and your patience; but, if you share a mutual desire to overcome the difficulties together, you can sustain the relationship even in the most strenuous times.
Respect - Respecting others means that you view them with equality; they are equitably as valuable as you are. Validating the other person demonstrates that you respect your differences and acknowledge that diversity doesn't have to be a source of conflict. Respect enhances a relationship by establishing a deeper level of intimacy because mutual respect expels fear of control, competition and inadequacy.
Communication - Communication is a vital part of every relationship; an aspect that you should integrate as a central component of your relationship. Maintaining a substantial level of communication prepares you to relate your thoughts and feelings when conflict emerges. Being able to articulate and listen to each other's views encourage trust and respect within your relationship. Persevering as a unit through the challenges enables you to develop a solid foundation on which you can build and cultivate a fulfilling life together.
Individual Freedom - Granting individual freedom to someone in a relationship presents us with a potentially challenging dynamic; giving this freedom without reservation can test our faith in the other person, as well as threaten our own self-confidence. Nevertheless, preserving a sense of personal freedom is a significant part of what substantiates you as an individual person, and as a joint entity in a relationship. Implementing individual freedom requires unconditional trust and love, but by surrendering the desire to control, you facilitate an even more intimate connection. Adopted From http://www.livestrong.com/
