Are you with the right partner?

Not sure where I found this article, but I am sharing here because it sums up perfectly:

ARE YOU WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER?

During a seminar, a woman asked,” How do I know if I am with the right person?

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, “It depends. Is that your partner?” In all seriousness, she answered “How do you know?” Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it’s weighing on your mind replied the author.

Here’s the answer.

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls, want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn’t hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn’t have to DO anything. That’s why it’s called “falling” in love.  People in love sometimes say, “I was swept of my feet. “Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It’s a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse’s idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, “Am I with the right person?” And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it’s learning to love the person you found. People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it. I’m not saying that you couldn’t fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you’d feel better. But you’d be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):

The key to succeeding in a Relationship is not finding the right person; it’s learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know

WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), Just as there are physical laws Of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a “decision”. Not just a feeling.

Remember this always: God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let GO!
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Not sure who originally wrote this, but I love it:

SELF WORTH:
In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing the question: ‘What kind of man are you looking for?’ She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye & asking, ‘Do you really want to know?’ Reluctantly, he said, ‘Yes. She began to expound, ‘As a woman in this day & age, I am in a position to ask a man what can you do for me that I can’t do for myself? I pay my own bills. I take care of my household without the help of any man… or woman for that matter. I am in the position to ask, ‘What can you bring to the table?’ The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money. She quickly corrected his thought & stated, ‘I am not referring to money. I need something more. I need a man who is striving for excellence in every aspect of life. He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, & asked her to explain. She said, ‘I need someone who is striving for excellence mentally because I need conversation & mental stimulation. I don’t need a simple-minded man. I need someone who is striving for excellence spiritually because I don’t need to be unequally yoked…believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster. I need a man who is striving for excellence financially because I don’t need a financial burden. I need someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded. I need someone who has integrity in dealing with relationships. Lies and game-playing are not my idea of a strong man. I need a man who is family-oriented. One who can be the leader, priest and provider to the lives entrusted to him by God. I need someone whom I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn’t taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive…he just has to be worthy. And by the way, I am not looking for him…He will find me. He will recognize himself in me. Hey may not be able to explain the connection, but he will always be drawn to me. God made woman to be a help-mate for man. I can’t help a man if he can’t help himself. When she finished her spill, she looked at him. He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. He said, ‘You are asking a lot. She replied, “I’m worth a lot”.
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From a social media post. Love this!

He always pushes the grocery cart.
(and when we get back to the truck, he always unlocks the doors immediately so that I can get in, and then proceeds to unload the groceries, while I’m sat in the truck with the seat warmers on. rain or shine – every time – this is our grocery game plan)
Can I let you all in on a little secret?
It’s taken me many years to appreciate being loved like this.
You see, I spent (ie. wasted) a lot of time looking for all the ways in which love in shown in the movies, in the magazines, and on the commercials.
Flowers.
Chocolates.
Romantic meals.
Surprise getaways.
And guess what?
I was disappointed time. and time. and time again.
All because I was looking for the ways that I was being told he should show his love –
Instead of paying attention to how he actually does show his love.
And when I eventually came to that realization, Friends?
That was the relationship game changer.
For he rarely buys flowers,
But he calls me everyday when he gets off of work, to see if I need anything picked up.
He never thinks of buying chocolate,
But whenever he sees anything that resembles a slice of plant based, organic goodness, he always buys it for me – And is always so proud to surprise me with his latest grocery store find.
He can only boil eggs and butter bread,
So while I have never walked into a dining room with candles flickering and plates of gourmet goodness laid out – He wakes up every Sunday morning, puts on coffee, pours up my favourite mug, and passes it to me while I’m cozied up on the living room couch (and if my mug is in yesterday’s dirty dishes, he’ll always wash it out. bless him).
And while he cannot put together a travel itinerary to save his soul,
He has sat in a theatre on Broadway with me to watch a musical. He has walked through Ernest Hemingway’s home with me. He has been through more museums and libraries in a lifetime than he cares to admit. And he has never complained about any of it. Not even once.
And it’s more than that. So much more than that.
He’s gotten up in the middle of the night with a crying baby. If his restaurant order is better than mine, he’ll always switch plates. He watches Sleepless in Seattle when he would rather be watching Jason Bourne (at least I think that’s his name). He knows my most favourite ‘lady products’, and will run to the pharmacy to grab me them whenever needed (if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is).
…And, he will always, always push the grocery cart.
You know, the more I think of it,
The flowers, the chocolates, the romantic meals, and the surprise getaways?
That’s all just momentary anyway.
The flowers die. The chocolate and meals get devoured. And the surprise getaways happen, and then they’re over.
But it’s in the moments that you can depend on (over and over and over again), well, that’s where the love is found.
The good love.
The always love.
Like your ‘most coziest blanket on a fall day’ love.
…And it’s THAT kinda’ love that I want to walk through this life feeling.
Don’t search for the flowers, Ladies. Nor waste your time in want of the chocolates.
Search for the one who will push your grocery cart.
For that’s where the always kinda’ love is ♡ 
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intended to replace traditional medical care.
It can, however, enhance traditional medical care.
Please see your medical professional for serious health concerns.***