Relationships require attention and affection to sustain and grow. They mostly survive on an “action-reaction” basis. Many a times we come across the word ‘compromise’ as the golden rule for a successful partnership of any kind. Under general terms, compromise is defined as the action of “giving up something to settle a difference of opinion between each other”.

Compromise is the most easily advised and toughest to practice of tips to hold on to a relationship. We have to give up some of our needs and wants in order to make a relationship work. If relationships prevent us from fulfilling our needs, they are not serving us. How do we love others if we fail to love ourselves through self-neglect by giving up our wants and needs? It is a mistaken notion of sacrifice that requires a neglect of ourselves for others.

If it is not compromise then it is the word '’adjust" that comes back to haunt you in relationships. You are expected to put up with what you are not willing to, in the name of adjusting and giving space in your relationship. Whether it’s compromising or adjusting, in the long run we only end up draining ourselves and our partners by creating a mock marriage.

Since our real need for love is not met, we make demands of our ’loved’ ones to give us what they cannot and what we have not given to ourselves. We have given up our needs by attempting to please them and fail, because we become needy instead of pleasing. Lack of communication has a significant impact on how unsatisfied and unfulfilled one feels with their partner. It is undoubtedly harder to cooperate and compromise when a relationship is strained as one feels hurt and disappointed by someone close. It is much more difficult to exert the effort that is needed to work on problems and to continue, even when one may be feeling helpless and hopeless about the future and be unable to find the positives in a relationship. It is important to remember that we have as much ability to help and heal a relationship as we do to hurt and damage it. This does not mean we should again get back to the good old compromise-and-cooperate mantra to set things right.

A relationship, especially in a marriage, is like a glass. It is sturdy, tough, beautiful and clear when taken care of, but if it is mistreated or mishandled it can end up scratched, cracked or even broken.