Listening Is Key And 4 Other Crucial Things I’ve Learned From My Long-Distance Relationship

1. Communication is vital. When you are in a long-distance relationship you should lay out your expectations in the very beginning that way neither one of you gets blindsided down the road. Be clear on what you want from the relationship. Cover both short-term and long-term goals. And anything else you feel is an important factor or a deal-breaker in the relationship.

2. Patience is more than just a virtue it is a conscious effort that you practice with your partner. Give yourselves a learning curve as you go. And remember you’re both just two people with the same goal in mind. The goal of a future together.

3. Be honest. The conversations you and your partner have should be ones where you are both honest and completely open with one another. Honesty is the best policy.

4. Listen to one another. While I am sure your partner appreciates your advice on a variety of things, sometimes all your partner really needs is someone to listen to them while they vent about the bad day they may have had. It’s the little things like that which makes your partner feel heard and appreciated by you. And most importantly, they feel valued by you.

5. Keep the faith. Whatever challenges you and your partner face at that moment they will eventually pass. These challenges will also make your bond as a couple that much stronger. Tough times don’t last forever. But the couples that are meant to usually do. Practice letting go and letting God guide you in the direction he wants your relationship to be in. No relationship is perfect, but if you work at your relationship as a team growing together and learning together…That sounds pretty perfect to me. Nothing blooms and grows on its own without hard work involved.

Love, when it is true, is not excluded from that list.