Relationship tip of the week #18-Being the best partner you can be

So what does it take to be the best partner you can be?

Here are my top ten:

1) Willingness to listen to your partner's concerns about what you do that upsets her/him even though you do not agree with his/her view
2) Willingness to stretch yourself to make changes that are not comfortable or at least try on new behaviors
3) Give your partner the benefit of the doubt before you rush to judgement
4) Willingness to share your concerns in the most positive way possible
5) Be willing to forgive
6) Willingness to accept disappointment
7) Show interest in your partner's life
8) Accept that relationships provide challenges for growth that are not always easy
9) Take responsibility for nourishing yourself
10) Live with an open heart

Relationship tip of the week #17-What we all want

If you think about it for a moment, what almost all of us want in a relationship is: a partner who really cares about us, our concerns, wants to understand us, if there is something that is stressing us about the relationship and wants to do whatever possible to make it better and give us the benefit of the doubt before assuming the worst. Of course, most of us forget that if we want to receive this, we have to be ready to offer it to our partner.
What does it take to do that? Why is it so difficult to achieve?
Next week, we will explore the challenge of striving to be the best partner we can be.