Keys to a Successful Relationship

Keys to a Successful Relationship
Relationships are tough, especially these days with the pressure of the media. The media portrays relationships that are in reality the opposite of what they should be. Like me, a lot of us thought if you had the house, nice car, kids, good jobs and everything your heart desired materialistically then you were on your way to the perfect relationship. This could not be farther from the truth! My dad once told me that more money just meant bigger problems and I never understood that until I got older and realized that a perfect relationship has nothing to do with money, kids or where you live.
My fiancé and I are not perfect. We have our ups and downs, but we have a relationship that works for the both of us. The key is that there are no keys. There is no one thing that makes our relationship perfect. Everyone has a different lock on their door which requires their own set of keys, keys that are custom made to fit your relationship.
In my opinion, honesty and trust are the number one reasons why my current relationship is good. You can’t love someone and not trust them. I learned this the hard way from being deceived so much in past relationships, but you can't constantly question your significant other. You need to believe what they tell you as long as they are honest about it. If you don't have a good reason not to believe them then they will avoid you and keep other things from you too. Trust that they are telling you the truth until they give you a reason not to trust them. Nobody likes to be questioned like a little kid all the time. It will eventually alienate your significant other and cause problems.
Communication is another very important key. You can't read your significant other's mind. If something is bothering you, don't let it fester to the point that it gets you agitated. Get it out in the open, otherwise you will stress over it and take it out on your significant other without them even knowing what the...