The One True Quality That Makes Or Breaks a Relationship (3 of 3)

Here’s another thing to consider: the more open you are about yourself to your partner, the more likely he or she will feel comfortable sharing things about themselves with you. Being authentic allows for two important things: it ensures you are yourself, and it makes it so much easier to resolve the inevitable conflicts that all partners have from time to time.

Embrace authenticity in your relationship at any stage. Pledge to be transparent about your emotions and needs starting today. You might very well observe remarkable transformations both in you and your significant other as you commit to “speaking their truth.”

Of course, this isn’t to say that you have to reveal everything on the first date. For example, immediately sharing with them that you had a traumatic experience as a child that affects you to this day might leave them with the impression that you’ve got serious issues, and they might not want to stick around to discover them. On the other hand, once you’ve become comfortable with each other and you know they will respond to your past with support and care, that’s the right time to come out.

Practicing to be more authentic might make you feel a bit anxious at first, but it won’t be long before you realize how much it pays off in terms of connection, true intimacy, and lasting love. Everybody’s goal is to find something they can spend the rest of their lives with, and it’s unabashed authenticity that allows couples to succeed in the long term.