Relationships can be challenging, yet they teach us valuable and insightful lessons, enabling us to look deeper within ourselves and question our motives, desires, and how we relate to ourselves and the world around us. Any relationship allows us to unlock the essence of our true nature, making us more vulnerable, open, understanding, and appreciative of life in general.

SELF-LOVE

The basis of any relationship starts with how we relate to ourselves because every relationship is a mirror of our own state of consciousness. which reflects how we relate to the outside world. We can only see in others what we recognise within. The more we are in harmony with ourselves, the more harmony we experience with the people we relate with. The love we feel for ourselves reflects our behavior and how we present ourselves to the world. Simultaneously it determines the kind of people we attract, sometimes as a blessing and sometimes as a lesson.

The parts we do not accept about ourselves will inevitably rise to the surface, exposed by triggers and how others respond to us. Although this might be a painful process, it serves a greater purpose. If we take the time and patience to become aware of the hidden triggers behind the pain, we allow ourselves to heal the hurt we carry within us. Therefore, being on your own from time to time can be a very healing experience to get to know yourself better. A period of solitude and introspectiveness can reveal the essence of who we are, which enhances any relationship.

“Self-love is the air beneath the wings of all our relationships.” ~ Elin Stebbins Waldal

TRUST

Trust is essential for maintaining any relationship, be it a committed relationship, friendship, or business-related. Trust means respecting one another, walking side by side in equality, and recognizing a deeper meaning and truth within each other. Trust doesn’t come overnight; it is a feeling of safety that is earned over time and through action. Hence, the more we learn to trust ourselves, the safer we feel and the more strength we can put into practicing in the outside world.

Trust is an empowering energy, a spirit of love, moving beyond fear and beyond the dynamic of competition. Competition might thrive us for a while and create momentum but is very limiting in the long run. The need for competition misrepresents our own abilities because comparing or competing with others is a sign that we do not trust our capacities.

When we choose to stay in the flow of our evolution, we find ourselves in a cycle of trust and confidence; here lies our unique gift that has been given to us to fine-tune and share it with the world.

“Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.” ~ Dalai Lama

SHARED WILLINGNESS

Mutual understanding is a natural flow between two persons. It is not something you can force, neither should it be taken for granted. As we mature, we change, and so do our relations. As a consequence, we might grow apart from the people that are dear to us. If mutual understanding is lacking, growing apart is inevitable and could be the ending of what has been. However, it can also be an opportunity to shift and repair the relationship by raising awareness to a higher level of consciousness.

Regardless of what two people in a relationship feel for one another, love alone is not enough. There needs to be a shared willingness and intention to become conscious of each other’s needs and desires, and a shared commitment that evokes respect for the evolving of both individual journeys. If we want a relationship to work, we need to come out of our comfort zone and be committed to each other in ways that keep the boat afloat.

A relationship is an agreement where love is a free exchange from the heart. Therefore, we can only lose what does not belong to us (anymore). Perhaps the relationship has outgrown its function and completed its manifestation for a bigger purpose; e.g. to serve us with a particular lesson or insight, to gain personal growth,or possibly the need to have children together, who needed the exact qualities from both of their parents.

“You will know when a relationship is right for you. It will enhance your life, not complicate it.” ~ Brigitte Nicole

SOULMATE

When we are in love we often believe we have met our soulmate. However, a soulmate is unlike any other relationship and can be either a romantic relationship or a very close friendship. You were predestined to meet one another, with whom conversations take flight as if you have been lifelong friends. You can be open and honest with each other without being afraid of being judged. The relationship is a much smoother one than it is with a karmic relationship that often has many triggers and lessons to learn through reflection.

A soulmate is not necessarily the perfect match that fits your lifestyle like a fitting glove, but someone who will pull you out of your comfort zone. Someone who will make you step beyond your limits, taking you and your mind to places where you may have feared to go in the past. A relationship that proves that you have no limits to what you want to create in your life. Except those you have created within your own mind.

A soulmate is someone who makes you question yourself and life in general. Someone who encourages you to look deeper within yourself, to discover that you are perfect just the way you are. Someone who adds quality to your life, who is beaming with pride while watching, supporting, and nudging you as you learn, grow, evolve, and refine the masterpiece that is you.

SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP

The way we perceive ourselves and the world is changing rapidly. We increasingly experience ourselves as cosmic beings with a human experience. Hence, our life events become more profound and meaningful, rather than merely good luck, bad luck, or coincidences. This awareness transforms our relationships from a five-sensory commitment to a multi-sensory one. Five-sensory relations find their origin in having a common goal that includes survival and safety, a perception where everything can be seen, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled.

The suffering that is part of these ‘old’ relationships brings new awareness to the light, unlocking a need for spiritual growth. Survival alone is not enough; we are striving to fulfill our full potential as multidimensional beings and improve the quality of our lives. Next to a romantic relationship, this also applies to other relations, such as with friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and between members of organizations.

Multi-sensory relations sprout from a desire for inner growth and awareness, guided by our intuition, the voice of our heart. This consciousness brings solidarity, harmony, cooperation, and respect for life in general, inviting a mature approach by paying attention to the causes of our painful experiences. It asks us to focus on our abilities to change and create joyful experiences with constructive actions. A multi-sensory perception goes hand in hand with the awareness of our innate wisdom and the recognition of it in others. It does not replace five-sensory perceptions but adds an entirely new dimension to it.

CONCLUSION

A sustainable relationship is created in the presence of mutual understanding between two people who surrender to each other in a transparent field of trust and safety, with a committed agreement of support and respect.

Credit upper image by Julia Caesar