We all know that overall, most relationships suck. Some more than others, but about 54.9% still end in disaster. Here is the 5 easiest ways to make them not suck.

Plan Ahead. We are all living in a post-economic apocalypse and some of us have had to take pretty drastic measures in order to sustain the level of comfort our families are accustomed to.  It may be difficult to overlook the pizza box sofa you are living on and the third meal of ramen noodles this week that you are eating, but plan for your future because trust me it is worth it. Most people arent happy in their day to day, if you are up for it why not run off and start the dream life you always thought about? Dream for the future, and then make plans on how to get there. You are the only person that is standing in the way of being a success. Communicate. When you commit to someone and they are stuck beside you in this crazy tumbleweed life, you gotta learn how to talk to them. Master the art of speaking to your spouse and learn to actually say what you need to say by listening and taking emotional inventory of your surroundings. Speak to your partner with respect and let them know how you will be most receptive to them. Nagging will buy you a one-way ticket to divorce, dont make the mistake of goading your partner into unnecessary drama. Love your partner how they want to be loved, not how you want to love them. Give ‘em the benefit of the doubt. You get what you give. Plain and simple. That is why the boyfriend you dated in high school is sitting alone on his couch drinking beer, lamenting over his balding head, and missing you like crazy.  Give your current spouse the benefit of the doubt in everything. When we spend a lot of time with another person we all tend to go onto auto-pilot and our reactions to them aren’t always logical or realistic. Try to be a little understanding and in the mean time, make sure your annoying quirky habits aren’t boiling up inside of your partner while you clumsily cut your toenails in bed and steal his towel three times a week. (sorry!) Give a little. It isnt about presents, it isnt about money. Relationships that work are succesful because the owners are giving to each other. When you first meet, you bring flowers. When you wed, you bring a ring. When you wake up next to a man who’s breath smells like an interesting combination of cat shit and avocados, bring a smile (and a toothbrush.) Give in to their needs, give them a break, give them a smile just dont give them an STD. Ignore the Haters. You two make a lovely couple, the problem is that when you both bring in your uniquely but mutually insane family structures, you also bring in a lot of unnecessary drama. You have to learn to ignore what everyone is saying, and do your own relationship litmus test. Is it working for you? Is it working for the other party in the relationship? The amount of people that should have a determining say about your relationship boils down to the exact same amount of people that see you naked on a regular basis. I hope this doesnt include your in-laws, but I don’t judge. Love each other, screw what everyone else says. Look what happened to that Romeo and Juliet couple, right?

© 2009, AntiSoccermom. All rights reserved to the original author unless stated otherwise.

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