How do you express your love and affection to someone who’s very dear to you? Do you express your love in words or in action?
Love can be expressed in so many ways; and there are some people who are more expressive with their feelings than the others. As a relationship counselor, I believe that showing a person just how important he/she is to you contributes to a sense of security which in turn leads to a happier and more fulfilling relationship.
But let’s be honest. Not all people are the same. Some are able to express their feelings more effectively than the others. Adding further complication to that; some expressions of love have far more weight and significance than any other means.
For example; calling your partner on the phone to ask if he/she had lunch already is a subtle way of expressing concern. Just the same, fixing your partner’s necktie every morning before he leaves for work is a sure sign of affection. And saying “good night” and “I love you” before going to bed is an expression of love.
Different people have different means of expressing love. I have seen couples that are very affectionate towards each other only to find out that one of them has been cheating, lying, and flirting all along.
And there are also some couples that seem to act casually-sweet and hardly say their “I love you’s” but are actually very faithful to each other.
Therefore, we can all conclude that the true expression of love doesn’t entirely depend on what couples say and do to each other. It all depends on how strongly they feel towards each other.
Moreover, it doesn’t depend on what we see and what we hear whenever we are with our partners; but on how our partners behave when we’re not looking (or when nobody is watching them).
Different Ways to Express Your Love to Your Partner
Here are some principles and relationship advice on how you can make your partner feel loved and cared for. Follow these basic fundamentals to make your partner feel more secure in your relationship and to develop trust and confidence in each other.
Learn to appreciate the little things
Make it a point to show appreciation towards your partner. It could be as random as telling her how beautiful she looks even in the most ordinary days, complementing her food, and telling him/her how lucky you are to have him/her as your partner.
Appreciating your partner is one way of boosting their confidence in your relationship. It can make them feel good about themselves and it drives them to become even better. More importantly, it makes them feel loved and secured.
Support your partner
Do not discourage your partner with their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations no matter how crazy they sound to you. Show your support for something they feel passionate about.
It’s acceptable to voice out your own opinion or to offer advice but make sure not to hurt their ego.
Supporting your partner could mean being their cheerleader whenever they’re having doubts about their potentials and pushing them to be their best.
As the sayings go; “behind every successful man is a woman”, behind every woman’s smile is a man who loves her”, and as cliché as it may sound “happy wife, happy life”.
Learn to say “sorry”
Pride is a thief of joy. We must all learn to say “I’m sorry”. Giving up our pride for the sake of someone we love is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of maturity.
A friend once told me that “pride doesn’t make a person strong. It’s when we give up our pride that we become truly strong individuals.”
Therefore, I always advise couples to learn how to apologize and not to hang on to their pride for too much and too long.
In a relationship, it doesn’t really matter who’s right and who’s wrong. As long as there’s love and commitment, a couple can always meet halfway and make compromises to work out on their differences. Nobody has to win or lose.
Moreover, apologizing sincerely has three major aspects. First, say “I’m sorry”. Second, say “I will try my best not to do it again”. And third, ask your partner “what can I do to make it up to you?” (Please, don’t miss out on the last part.)
Don’t forget important dates
Your anniversary, birthdays, and other special occasions are all important milestones in your relationship that are worthy of a celebration. Don’t miss out on these dates no matter how busy life gets for both of you.
Commemorating special occasions together contributes to a happy and stable relationship; and celebrating them together makes these days even more special. Consider these occasions as great opportunities for you to do something special for each other.
Keep the romance alive
Make every moment special by keeping the romance alive in your relationship. Even as you enter the comfortable phase or routine phase, try to do something nice to your partner.
It could be as simple as preparing his favorite dish, texting her in the middle of the day just to check on her, buying her flowers even without a special occasion, treating him to a warm massage when he gets home from work, and going out on a date whenever you can.
There are many things you can do to keep the romance alive and the fire burning. So be a little bit more creative and resourceful, because the little things that you do for your partner every single day can all add up and contribute to a happy, strong, and stable relationship.