instead, love is only one of the many ingredients needed for a long-lasting partnership. a partnership is not just about the emotions and feelings of love. married or not married, when you decide to enter into a partnership with another, commitment means you act with integrity, respect and care –even when your emotions are telling you otherwise. love is not what makes you apologize and give your partner a hug after an argument (even though inside you know you’re 100% …

they can be anything from the thing your fifth-grade sister has in between classes with the boy at the next locker over and the intense sexual experience you’re having with the guy you met on tinder. anyone can own a number, have a few experiences and call it a romance. anyone can meet someone new, test the waters and introduce someone to his or her parents. not everyone can have a partnership. relationships are those meaningful experiences you have with …

what are your thoughts on open relationships and non-monogamy? “as far as somebody being right for us … is there somebody right for a nice night? that’s not a deal breaker. that’s not something that would make us say, ‘pack your things and let’s end the marriage.’ what if it’s 20 times? … and if we do, if that’s what’s making it work, then that’s fine too.” “i doubt that fidelity is absolutely essential for a relationship. … it’s worse …

we enjoy giving to it and nurturing it. we clung on because we thought we needed each other but we became resentful and started to hate the relationship. it can be difficult to be in a relationship if you don’t have a great deal of self-love. but i also think that if you are in a partnership where self-love is lacking, and the space between you is needy, irritating, and harmful, things can be turned around. he or she can …

i would prioritize the opinions of friends and family over my mental and relational health. i was a contradictory, self-sabotaging, compulsive liar whose desire to prove everyone wrong and be one of the cool kids, outweighed the self-love that i had no idea how to jumpstart. i wasn’t attracted to the fact that he was completely available, agenda-less, and didn’t feel like he had anything to prove to anyone. i just let my happiness and interest in other people (instead …