[Artemis86]

continued from How to get a great guy THIS YEAR (part 2)

1. Trust and be trustworthy. Trust is the backbone of true love. You should never have to doubt him, nor he you. Do not cheat! What does that mean? Anything you wouldn’t want him to do with a third party.

2. Communicate effectively. Men are not from Mars, but there can be misunderstandings between the sexes. So don’t expect him to “just know” what you want; tell him. Don’t talk around your main point. Give him some time to absorb what you are saying. Don’t play passive-aggressive. Avoid giving unsolicited advice or criticism—ask first.

3. Be with him—but be yourself. It’s nice to be open to your man’s interests and opinions, but if you find that you don’t share them, let him pursue them on his own! Don’t start TiVo-ing the U.S. Open just because he keeps a tennis racket in his trunk.

4. Don’t overanalyze. A healthy relationship is organic. If you find yourself constantly analyzing what’s going on between you and your man, either you need to relax and lighten up, or something is amiss. Try the former first. If you find yourself plagued by doubt, suspicion or insecurity, you two might not belong together.

5. Don’t confuse breakups with failures. The media bombards us with the notion that there is only one true love for everybody. But the reality is, not every relationship is meant to last forever. You may want different things when you’re 16, 26, 36 and beyond. As long as each relationship teaches you something, it is a success.