Steps to finding the One
Relationships are tough. There are so many things that go into having a long-lasting successful relationship. As I'm sure many of you know, being with someone has many ups and downs, along with many trials and tribulations. It's not easy and you will be tested to the limits in terms of forgiveness and individual growth, especially amongst those who are younger. I believe it's important to understand more about yourself, maintain a healthy relationship with God, and take your relationships slow.
Date yourself and learn more about how you work as an individual so you can earn a deeper understanding of your wants and needs. Learn who you are, who you want to be and understand how you must change to obtain the life you want to have. Whilst in a relationship you will be asked to change parts of yourself to conform to the needs of your partner. This can mean a range of things, from anything easy like, chewing with your mouth closed rather than open, to anchors like changing your religious and political beliefs. You shouldn't be asked to change your fundamental beliefs simply because they're what you refer to in decision-making. You should stay firm in what you believe in and not change for someone without good reason and time. People will like you because you know who you are and what you stand forI f you were to change that, then you wouldn’t be you. A big part of who we are stems from our personal beliefs, and to change everything we base our lives on could be catastrophic and hurt us more in the long run.
Have a closer relationship with God. Even if you are a nonbeliever, meditation and prayer will help either way. You can do more if you believe in yourself and that’s even more so if you have the support and help of others. Praying to God is more than wishing and asking for things to be done for you. It's a conversation with God. It’s saying thank you for everything he’s done, even if you don’t understand it. It’s learning how to live with him by your side, and asking for forgiveness when you do something wrong. This is the mindset we must have before entering into a romantic relationship, for when we come to a bump in the road, he can help us get over it. Forgiveness is a big part of Christianity, and we must be able to forgive our partners for what they do.
Don’t rush a relationship. People come and go, and it’s important to consider relationships before entering them. Take some time to think about this person and how you would work together long-term. Do they have similar ideologies in terms of politics, religion, and morals? If not, how would their lifestyle coincide with yours? These are questions you can ask yourself before putting yourself into any relationship, romantic or friendly. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, remember, it’s good to be friends before anything else. Spend some time with whoever it is you want to give yourself to, and learn these things about them. If you learn it wouldn’t work as partners, it's okay to maintain a friendship with them. You never want to try and “fix” someone who doesn’t want to be fixed. This will only discourage them and they will push away from you. If someone seems like they’re avoiding you or they’re not replying to you in a reasonable amount of time, that’s because they are probably doing it on purpose. Don’t go chasing someone who doesn’t want to give you the time of day, and if someone is playing “Hard to get”, is that really someone you want to be with?
Once you’ve thought it through, and you’ve concluded that this person would be a good fit for you, take your shot. You may miss and that’s okay, but if you land. Take your time. There is no rush. Learn more about this person, remember to be yourself, and pray to God for guidance.