Four Requirements for True Love

If you want to grow a plant, you know that it has certain requirements – air, earth, water and sunlight. Growing true love is no different. Just as plants require those four elements to grow strong and healthy, so love has its own four requirements for healthy growth. Each of the four elements of love relies upon the others, and when all four are present, they combine to create a strong framework upon which love can flourish and flower for a lifetime.

The four requirements for true love are respect, trust, honesty and faith. Learning to recognize them will help you nourish and enrich your relationships, but sometimes it’s easier to recognize when they are lacking than it is to see their presence. These signs can help you recognize relationships that are true, loving partnerships.

You Can Express Your Opinion without Fear.

In a loving relationship, you can speak the truth without fearing that it will anger your partner or cause him to abandon you. You know that your partner will listen to you with respect and respond to you with honesty. If you fear being ridiculed or belittled by your partner, something is lacking in your relationship. It may be a failure of trust on your part or respect on the part of your partner.

You Can Confide Your Deepest Thoughts to Your Partner.

A loving relationship is built on intimacy, and intimacy relies on being able to communicate with each other honestly. That means you must both feel safe to express your thoughts to each other. You can trust that your partner will keep your confidence and not share what you tell her with others in a way that hurts you. You know in your heart that she will not laugh at you or betray your trust.

You Share Common Goals and Beliefs.

Shared faith is a vital part of a loving and evolving relationship. You put your faith in each other and in the commitment you make to each other. You believe in the same principles and work together toward a common goal, and you believe that together, you are strong enough to reach the goals you set.

Love may spring up on its own, but only when its seeds fall on fertile ground. If you want to find true love, you must cultivate the conditions under which it can flourish. When you strive to be honest and open with others and to be respectful of everyone in your life, you are cultivating the garden in which love can grow.