So, you want to fall in love? You are certainly old enough and moving

well along your chosen career path. Many of your friends are either married

or in committed relationships. You have grown weary of the singles scene

and the solitary life. Therefore, you must be ready, right?

Not necessarily.

So what is relationship readiness anyway? Exactly what it says. You are

adequately capable of handling the commitment and challenges that a

healthy, intimate relationship requires.

How do you know if you are ready? What are the characteristics you need

to have or acquire in order to be ready for true love?

There are four primary areas that you should explore in order to assess

your present state of readiness.

1. Take an inventory of past traumas and related major issues.

You should mentally review these and honestly look at how well you

have already addressed and resolved them.

As you work through each, ask yourself, “Is this impacting me negatively

in my present life.” Also explore with yourself the possibility that the

issue could become problematic once you have entered into an intimate

relationship.

If you believe that there are things you have not yet adequately dealt with, you

need to go to work on these. If you are unsure, then they bear closer

examination. Consider utilizing resources such as therapy or joining a

support group.

An example of such issues can include, but not be limited to;

emotional, physical or sexual abuse in childhood, parents’ divorce, loss

of a parent or other loved one, or a past abusive or dysfunctional love

relationship.

2. How’s your self-awareness and self-esteem?

If you do not possess adequate self knowledge and a positive sense of self; an intimate relationship will be difficult or impossible to sustain.

For instance, do you know yourself well enough to answer the following?

Can you state your most deeply held values?

Do you know what you can’t live with or without in a relationship?

Do you have a good grasp of your life goals?

Do you know your own strengths and weaknesses?

Now, do a quick assessment of your self-esteem.

How do you see yourself?

How do others see you?

Remember you present different selves:

at work

with family

with friends

in gatherings with acquaintances

If your answers tell you that you have difficulty accepting and liking

yourself, or if others frequently respond negatively to you in your

interactions with them, then this is an area you should begin work on.

Self-love is at the foundation of all healthy relationships.

3. Are your past relationships really in the past?

If we don’t get adequate closure on painful experiences/issues from

past relationships, we are at risk of bringing them into present and

future relationships in order to relive and resolve them.

Therefore, it’s important to know that you have dealt adequately with

any significant hurt or loss and have learned from any dysfunctional

dynamics you may have contributed to.

If you find yourself slipping into unhealthy patterns in your thoughts or

Behaviors as they relate to others; stop, identify, and then deal with

that leftover issue.

4. Do you know what you want from a relationship?

We enter into relationships for many different reasons and with many

different expectations. Knowing what yours are will help you to

determine if this is the right relationship for you.

Too often we “choose” someone using an unconscious level of thought

as our primary input. It is there that we hold our deepest unmet needs,

fears and desires. Unfortunately, there is often a chasm between our

conscious and unconscious selves that keeps this information

“hidden” from our rational and thinking side.

Therefore, it is very important to examine all of your feeling and needs

regarding any future relationship. Honestly look at what you must have

and cannot live without.

You must know what you want and need from a future partner in order

to choose the right one for you.

Now, spend some time exploring these four important areas before you

enter into a serious romantic relationship. By doing so, you will be

helping to ensure that your new relationship will be a healthy and

lasting one.

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Are You Relationship Ready?