Ringing Bells?

If you and your partner can get over the initial shock of what it takes to share your lives and have been able to work through the barriers that have been presented to you, then you might decide that taking the next step is the right thing to do. You might be thinking about getting married and committing yourself to him or her. However, before you go through with this next step, there might be a few things that you want to do.

First, you might want to analyze the relationship that you have with your partner. Think about how well the two of you work together. Are you able to communicate when there is an issue? Does one person always get his or her way, or are you able to share? Think about how you are in all senses of your relationship. How are the two of you at budgeting? Do you both contribute to maintaining your household? Do you get along with each other’s friends and family? How about the relationship between the two of you? Are there still sparks?

You want to make sure that you are making the right decision when it comes to marriage. You don’t want to end up with someone because you are comfortable with him or her and used to your routine. You want to be with someone that actually loves and cares about you, someone who you know would go the extra mile to take care of you if you really needed them to and someone that you would be willing to do that for too. You want to make sure that both of you pull an equal weight when it comes to your relationship and that your journey together allows both of you to achieve your dreams and goals.

If you decide that the two of you are compatible and that you work together well in the ways listed, then think about your friendship. Are the two of you only lovers, or are you friends too? Can you talk to each other about anything? Are you able to ask for advice without having to face judgement? Having a good friendship with the person that you are with is important too. This is what helps two people grow together and it can help spur further attraction between the two of you as this kind of friendship allows you to have the support of the person you are with along with the ability to be motivated by him or her. You also have an outlet when you have a friendship like this, which can help you better deal with situations and ease your stress when you are faced with difficulty. Partners like these can help you build your confidence, giving you the chance to conquer situations with both them and by yourself.

Analyze your romantic life with your partner as well. Does he or she think about you when the two of you aren’t together? Is there an obvious connection between the two of you? Do you address each other’s needs? Think about the way you feel about your partner, even the feelings that you can’t quite explain. Do you see him or her as a good partner in the future? Can you imagine building a life with him or her? If you do feel like your partner is someone that you can see yourself with down the road and someone that makes you feel those special feelings that you feel when you are in love, then he or she might be the person for you. Understand that marriage is a lifelong commitment, so if you marry him or her, then that will be the partner that you will be spending the rest of your life with.