Stop Suffering ISSUE019 | Page 7

The ideal partner Have you been looking for “the one” with no results? Maybe this is the reason. There are certain character traits that are essential for a stable and happy relationship: honesty, maturity, loyalty and patience. When looking for a potential partner, these qualities must be on the top of the list, and all must be required. However, every single person also has an idea of other traits they would like their future partner to have, including their style and even hair color. Although all of these added preferences are in their mind, they may meet someone who has none or only a few of them. How to approach a situation like this? Some may require at least one characteristic of choice while others may go with the flow and see where they end up. Believe it or not, none of these approaches are wrong, however they are both shortsighted. Being fixated on certain physical or social characteristics does not guarantee a good relationship nor can we accept whatever comes our way with no idea of the future whatsoever. Looking for characteristics in your potential partner that will benefit the relationship is your best option. On the other hand, there are some singles who have no wiggle room for their idea of the ideal partner. Their eye color, height, background, likes and dislikes must be exactly as the person imagined or they are immediately placed on the “not meant to be” pile. This is why many singles are still single; they have no room for something new. We cannot allow our preferences to block us from being fulfilled in our love life. You might spend your entire life looking for a person with all the traits you want and not find. No one is perfect, including ourselves; so how can we expect someone else to be what we are not? Know what you want, but don’t become so attached to it that it keeps you from moving forward. Learn how to prepare yourself for the right person by becoming the right person. Join us every Thursday at 7pm for The Love Therapy. Thursdays at 7pm - 2420 Dufferin St. Toronto STOP SUFFERING|07