The art of patience

Within every relationship there are ups and downs. What makes
a relationship endure is not the absence of conflicts but the ability to
avoid power struggles and resolve disagreements. You may have read different self-help books, talked to your partner of even consulted a counselor. All of this will be of no advantage to you unless you make a commitment to keep working on improving your communication with you partner on a consistent basis. As they say practice makes perfect. Relationships grow through change.
Any relationship goes through changes the same way you change as an individual. You cannot expect your partner or your relationship to stay the same. That would be not only unrealistic but also unhealthy. Imagine your partner staying stuck in his or her old way no matter what you do or say. I cannot stress enough to couples how important it is to be consistent in doing good work in your relationship that brings the two of you closer. Perhaps the therapy sessions you may have gone to have helped some and now the two of you are communicating better and getting along. Remember to use all of the tools you have learned. Practice, practice, practice. Do not rely on your partner to do all of the work in the relationship. He or she may do it at first for a period of time and just as you think that everything is going well, you enter the same pattern of conflict, miscommunication and lack of intimacy. In order for your relationship to stay healthy you need consistency throughout your partnership. Consistency is expressed in many ways from taking time to say “I love you” to being mindful of not engaging in power struggles and being honest. Sometimes partners become too comfortable with each other and begin to slack off.
Excerpt from : Couple's Communication Made Easy (audio book)

Love...

Psychologists have speculated whether feelings arise from our thoughts or whether our feelings generate thoughts. One plausible version is that thoughts produce feelings. When we focus on positive thoughts, our feelings change and as a result our actions reflect this in the outer world. A person has many thoughts during the course of the day. Some of our thoughts cause us to feel anxious, worried, peaceful or inpatient. Whatever the case is, the feelings we experience are the result of our own thoughts. If we put our energy into thinking how to help another sentient being, eliminate pollution in nature, or strive to evolve and connect with our inner wiser self, we would create a healthier atmosphere all around us. What we send into the universe comes back to us. The more love we send towards other sentient beings, the more love we will receive in return.
What we need to recognize is that love should be the driving force behind our growth, life, and aspirations. This is what the spiritual masters have taught through the ages. In Corinthians 13-8 we read, “Love is eternal.” God is eternal, which in turn translates to the well-known saying that God is Love.
Love is not a quality common and reserved only to humans. It is the essence of life. How can a person say that they love God but fail to love all of creation? We often hear that we have to love ourselves in order to love others. This does not come easy to some people because they have been wounded by others along their journeys, either psychologically, emotionally, or physically. Love therefore may be seen as another thing causing vulnerability. After all, no one wants to get hurt. When we withhold expressing love, we ultimately hurt ourselves in the long run.
The Master Beinsa Douno noted, “An intelligent man is a man who, even in the middle of the deepest darkness, can find the path that leads to God- the eternal and unchanging love in the universe.” In addition, the Dalai Lama points out that all sentient beings are equal. You can decide to love and be loved or continue to create unhealthy karmic patterns in your life. Freewill belongs to all of us and how we choose to exercise it is our responsibility. As we grow spiritually, we are able to recognize our uniqueness as well as our Oneness with all life forms. Sometimes we are scared of saying “I love you” because we fear that the other person may not say “I love you” back to us. Love is about giving freely without worrying about “what’s in for me”?

Excerpt from : Guru in Jeans: Inward Journey to Psychospiritual Awakening