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5 Genuinely Loving Gestures That Show You Care

5 Genuinely Loving Gestures That Show You Care [EXPERT]

There are literally hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of ways we can behave that could be considered loving. Yet, it is from where the gesture comes from that distinguishes the loving act from the empty gesture. Are You In A Healthy Relationship?

What good is it for you hold your tongue in an argument, wanting credit for displaying self-control or hoping to get some payoff (like sex), while ultimately, you have contempt for your partner and find their behavior regularly intolerable? There's very little good in that, it turns out! If your goal is to display your love or affection genuinely, here are my five suggestions.

1. Study your partner. Take care to learn who they are. What do they love, like and dislike? What do they find difficult? What sends them into their outer limits?

While this independent study may not result in your behaving much differently, your attention and care will be felt. Your investment of time is of the utmost importance to the overall quality and health of your long-term relationship.

2. Include their overall happiness as part of your daily awareness practice. In other words, check in with them daily; inquire about their feelings, dreams, struggles, agenda and goals, personal and otherwise. Hold their vision for themselves as if it were your own. 10 Unsexy Signs You're In A Relationship That Can Actually Last

3. Listen carefully. Most people tell us what they want from us. If not directly, they usually drop clues constantly about what would make them happy, even deliriously happy. "An uninterrupted hour, free from housework, kids, phones, noise, responsibility and … don't ask ... Oh I could use a massage, a romantic dinner, to have you kidnap me for the night, or simply to pick up your dirty socks and clean up after yourself so I don’t have to ask you."

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This article was originally published at Maryanne Live . Reprinted with permission from the author.