After more than 20 years together my wife and I are both more passionately and spiritually in love with each other with each passing year. We continue to be amazed and grateful for the healing power of love and how it has transformed our lives. We've found there are two simple secrets to creating a dynamic, loving, lifelong relationship.
One: Choose love. Marry the "right person." Choose someone who loves you for who you are, someone you love enough to have as your companion on life's journey.
Two: Grow love. Make a commitment to grow in love as an individual and as a couple. Make a mutual pledge to keep increasing the love and decreasing the negatives in your relationship.
Some important ways you can increase the Love Ratio in your relationship:
Trust in the power of love. Don't let fear interfere.
Always be honest and be yourself -- your partner knows what's really going on anyway.
Be a "warrior of the heart" -- it takes courage to love and to be loved.
Work hard -- personal and relationship growth is sometimes the toughest work you'll ever do, but the rewards are incredible.
Be quick to apologize. Because we are all imperfect, we will sometimes hurt the one we love. Don't feel guilty and don't get defensive. Remember that you are a good person. Find out what hurt the other person and why. Ask them what would work better next time. Change your behavior so your partner feels loved.
Learn to forgive. Forgiveness is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of intimate love. Don't ignore or bury hurt feelings. But don't criticize or judge the other person either. You both deserve to feel loved. Forgive your partner for hurting you, tell them you love them, and ask them if they'd like to know what you need to feel loved.
Heal hurts and defenses from the past that block your ability to love in the present.
Connect with the universal Source of Love. Ask your Higher Power (your Sacred Voice) for help in making the changes you need to make so you can become a more effective channel for love.
Aim for ecstasy! Play, have fun, enjoy living together, push the boundaries of love every once in a while -- and make love often and passionately!
Keep your relationship filled with positive energy, affection, ecstatic sex, acts of kindness and happy memories and you will continue to ascend to higher levels on love's infinite spiral.
