No matter what you do in any relationship always remain true to yourself and allow yourself to be who you are.  If you stop being who you are you’re not living in integrity and you will soon start to notice that things are wrong.  Allow yourself to shine in all situations and stay true to yourself.  When you do this; all relationships will flourish and you will be a lot happier in every situation.

Be yourself.
Blah blah. I know. Cliché. But here’s the thing. You have no chance of sustaining a relationship unless you’re part of it. You. All of you. The messy. The beautiful. The tomboy. The sex kitten.

I was a master at dodging and faking. For years, I was busy being who I thought my date-of-the-week wanted me to be. And then an older, wiser friend pointed out if I kept disguising myself in relationships, I was never going to feel loved. And, maybe worse, I would be too self-involved to fully love someone else.

I now know that my husband and I were building the scaffolding for our relationship from our first stolen kiss. You don’t have to be all of yourself all at once. But don’t hide who you are. Odds are it won’t work and, even if it does, it’s so not worth it.

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Having male friends is crucial to your survival in the dating world.  Male friends will continuously remind you that there are fabulous men out there and that you can rely on them.  They will be there for you in times of need in a way that girlfriends can’t be.  Men have a way of being practical and have the ability to fix things when women just get emotional about it.  I recommend having at least 2 or 3 good male friends in your life; ones that you can count on, and turn to when you’re in need of some logic.

Male Friends Are Important
Whether the bonds are familial, as with my brother and brother-in-law, or just platonic, some of the most important relationships in my life are with men. I find these friendships emotionally rewarding on many levels, and very different from my bond with my female friends. Guys, for one thing, offer invaluable advice on men. I also relish the chance to offer them advice on women, and trust me, they need it. And however stereotypical this sounds, men are very, very practical. When I found out my ex was shacking up with another woman, it was one of my close male friends who told me to kick the [expletive] out immediately. He then proceeded to craft the ultimate kiss-off text message, and hit send. Good male friends also serve as an important reminder of how many trustworthy, kind, reliable men there are out there.

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Do you have great male friends in your life?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

Gratitude is the key to any relationship.  By showing your partner that you appreciate him you’re making him feel that what he does for you is important.  I know that I’ve gone through relationships where I didn’t feel appreciated and it ended up ruining the relationship.  When I don’t get thank yous and gratitude; I don’t feel loved.  If you feel the same way; then remember that when it comes to your man.  Be grateful for everything he does for you and say thank you; often.

Express gratitude and say thank you.
This is a huge lesson I’m happy to share with others. Many of us take our relationships for granted and that is a huge mistake. We all like to feel valued and appreciated. I try to say thank you to my husband every day. I am grateful that he makes a sandwich for me when I go to my office, and I always thank him for that. John Gottman, a fabulous couple’s researcher, claims that a healthy couple needs five positive interactions to one negative interaction. Saying thank you is certainly positive.

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Do you say thank you to your man on a daily basis?  Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.