Peradventure, you are going out with a person with the hope of getting married, or you are already married, you should be able to define the essence of the relationship as well as what you are supposed to do so as to make the relationship work out as a happy love life.

Firstly, you need to ask the following questions?

What does my spouse stand to profit from me?
How much am I giving to make this relationship healthy?

In courtship or marriage, each partner should give his or her true commitment to the other party; and should seek to discover his or her values, goals, fears, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, etc. Love is commitment, and commitment is responsibility.

It should be critically noted that marriage relationship will never be successful because you have come together as couples. To ensure success in your desire for a happy love life, responsibilities must be taken to build the relationship.

True commitment takes responsibilities by seeking to develop one’s spouse spiritually, mentally, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. True commitment seeks to meet personal and mutual needs for the growth of the love relationship, for love grows in intensity when it is nurtured through individual as well as mutual commitment of the spouses involved.

There should be sharing and caring for each other, that is, giving oneself (what you are) and what you have to meet the needs of the other. Mutual contributions to the marital life, whose starting point is the courtship or dating period, strengthen the bond of love between the man and the woman.

Either of the two should not be mindful of what he or she can gain, for love is unselfish; but rather what he or she can give to promote love, peace and harmony. True love is sacrificial. It is more profitable to give than to receive. Giving true love by word and deed to your spouse makes you more blessed with love, peace and security. There will be soundness in your heart and mind. That love will be reciprocated. Give it first, and then it will flow back to your heart.

A person once noted, saying, “What either the Man (husband) or the Woman (wife) wants more than any other thing is to be loved. Success begins in our marriage by becoming the seed of the love and care that we desire from our partner. A man who loves and cares for his wife would definitely always get the best of his wife.” How?

Basically, a principle in love relationship is that it is of the man to love while it is of the woman to respond to love. This is a natural marital phenomenon that should be in every marriage relationship. If any of the partners fails to deliver his or her part, the marriage will fail.

Therefore, in any relationship where this principle is broken, there will be a break-up in companionship and friendship by virtue of the resultant conflicts which may eventually lead to termination of courtship, or divorce if the two are married. That is what every couple should avoid.

As stated earlier on, it takes the two partners to make a successful marriage. It should be noted that for this principle to work in any marital relationship, it is imperative that each partner knows the real, core meanings and values of that thing called love in all senses! Our rewards in marriage are determined by our love and care for each other. The health of a relationship is an index of characters put into it.

At this juncture, it is worth stating that during courtship, the two of you should seek to strike a balance between your differences, deal with your personal weaknesses that may destroy the relationship, and devise effective marriage plan that will help to build the home of your dream. Nothing works without adequate planning and preparation. That’s a sure way to a happy love life.