BUILDING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP FROM THE START.

The Beginning Stages
While the early months of a relationship can feel effortless and
exciting, successful long-term relationships involve ongoing
effort and compromise by both partners. Building healthy
patterns early in your relationship can establish a solid
foundation for the long run. When you are just starting a
relationship, it is important to:

*.BUILD.Build a foundation of appreciation and respect. Focus
on all the considerate things your partner says and does. Happy
couples make a point of noticing even small opportunities to say
"thank you" to their partner, rather than focusing on mistakes
their partner has made.

*.EXPLORE: Explore each other's interests so that you have a
long list of things to enjoy together. Try new things together to
expand mutual interests.

*ESTABLISH: Establish a pattern of apologizing if you make a
mistake or hurt your partner's feelings. Saying "I'm sorry" may
be hard in the moment, but it goes a long way towards healing a
rift in a relationship. Your partner will trust you more if he or
she knows that you will take responsibility for your words and
actions