Sections:

Love, Friendship and Relationship

Before two people join in love, the first step is learning to be friends first.

When friendship develops throughout a relationship, the person has time to become acquainted with the other person's bad habits, customs, personality, behaviors, and so forth. Throughout the friendship, the two can weigh the good with the bad to determine if they have tolerance levels of putting up with each other in a relationship. If the two lack communication or other elements to develop a loving relationship, thus they can work on the problem now to prevent hurt later. If during the time they find they are unable to communicate openly, thus starting a loving relationship may not be in their best interest.

A wise woman once told me that if a person does not have your best interest at heart, then it is no use starting something when you know it will never last. This is very true. When two people join in relationship, each partner should have the best interest of the other in mind. The best interest will include respect, love, consideration, honesty, openness (without perversions), dreams, and so forth.

With this in mind, we can consider dreams. Dreams set our goals, schedules, plans, destination, and so forth. If we do not have dreams, we often lack direction. Does your partner have dreams? Do you have dreams?

While you are considering the questions, we can learn more about love and relationship, by reviewing communication. Businesses, marriages, schools, and so on base their strategies on communication. Thus, a good business will keep the chains of communication open, by keeping the employees informed of the latest developments. The communication will continue throughout the relationship, and will include decisions, advise, theories, opinions, and so forth. During the process respect, openness, honesty, intelligence, knowledge, thought, emotion, and other elements will respond to the communication, thus providing wisdom on business strategy. Likewise, friendships development when two people start a topic both partners are familiar with, or else one party is curious.

If two partners have nothing in common often, communication drifts out the door along with the luggage of one party or the other later. Once the chain of communication is broken, there is no turning back unless one is willing to comprise with the other. In other words, diversity is required to make relationships work also. If one partner is stereotyped, or else shallow-minded the other partner will wear down over time if something does not give. Shallow-minded in true definition means that a person is not willing to learn more than what he/she already knows. Open minded in true definition means to express feelings, emotions and thoughts without imposing on someone else, but utilizing honesty at all times. Thus, open minded by few definitions, or rather according to the person expressing open mildness', depends on the person and his/her way of thinking.

Examples of open-minded people have various views; however, a true open-minded individual will not consider hurting others. Shallow minded individuals often gravitate toward stereotyping, prejudices, and so forth. Stereotyping does not meet with open minds, since the two will collide unless one or the other is willing to bring down the walls of belief.

Now we see that belief plays a part in relationship. When you start out as friends you can decide on a relationship if both of you have common beliefs. One example of couples sharing similar beliefs is illustrated in the Mary and Joseph account. Mary and Joseph joined in marriage and remained in faith throughout their relationship, although Joseph at first was not sure of Mary's faithfulness. When the Word of God came through a dream, Joseph accepted the arrangement and the two remained faithful in love until death did them apart. Mary and Joseph were friends before joining in love, and both partners have similar dreams.

Are you still pondering over the questions asked of you earlier? If you are, then it may not be wise to start up a relationship at this point, since you haven't found a friend in your self at this point, thus it will be difficult to find a true friendship and loving relationship, until you establish your own identity and dreams.

Read more on the next pages.