Articles (2007-2008):

Finding your partner

Life is incomplete without a true companion. Everyone needs a life long true companion. A steady partner is an essential requirement for everyone.

The fluctuations in relationship satisfaction are influenced by other factors, including our own level of tiredness, skills in communicating, problem solving and managing stress, our ability to deal with outside pressures such as work, family, finances and our own dreams, goals and expectations for our own life and our relationship.

In order for a relationship to survive and flourish both partners need to feel they are receiving adequate support. Having these needs met is a combination of each partner having realistic expectations about the other’s ability to meet your needs, creating an environment where both partners are aware of and able to meet each other’s need for support.

In order to determine if an attribute is essential or optional, there are a couple techniques you can use. Firstly, imagine yourself in a relationship with someone who does not possess that attribute. How would you feel? Would you feel constantly frustrated and annoyed? Or would you be mildly irritated now and then? Would you not even notice the absence of this characteristic past the initial stage? Obviously if you imagine yourself feeling constantly irritated, then this attribute is absolutely essential for your ideal mate to possess.

The attribute of physical attractiveness is a peculiar category. Finding your partner pleasing to look at may be important to you and if your ideal mate cannot fulfill your particular requirements for being physically desirable, it is likely to cause problems in the future when you will be drawn to others who are physically desirable to you.

Therefore you should look for a partner that will offer you the true love instead of one that you just find cute.

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