Technology is an important part of society today, and it has a lot of benefits. But as you know, good and bad things can happen as a result of too much technology. It affects people’s lives on a daily basis. And in the age of swipe right or swipe left, getting get back to the basics could do us a lot of good.
My name is Angel Santiago, AKA LifeCoachAngel, and I’m the newest addition to The Dating Doc team.
Let's Break It Down
So you got past the initial meeting and attraction stage and now you’re considering a relationship with this person and as the curiosity and interest builds, you’re now ready to move into the relational stage. This is where, ideally, you’ll spend 3-6 months (at the minimum) building a friendship before you decide to enter into a romantic agreement. Once you know you have built a good friendship, you’ll have a solid foundation to build anything romantic.
A relationship is defined as the way in which two or more people relate to one another. The relation part of the word means connection, correspondence; or the act of telling or relating in words. The -ship part of the word means quality, condition; act, power, skill; office, position; the relation between. The verb relate means to make a connection and to be able to understand a situation or someone’s feelings because you have experienced something similar yourself.
As you know, a foundation is the basis or groundwork of anything, and it also provides support for it. In the context of relationships, friendship serves as the foundation for anything else you could possibly build with this person. This is where and how you build mutual trust and support for one another. This is where you find out if you can actually relate to each other.
When The Romantic Stage "Ends"
The truth is, when you first meet and look into each other’s eyes, your brain produces serotonin and oxytocin, which are chemicals that are known to be associated with feeling bonded and happy. This happens because in the beginning, our core issues, our predominant limiting beliefs, our feelings, and our unmet needs from childhood haven’t been triggered yet; that pain begins to surface as the relationship grows. When it finally does, do you think is going to be pretty? NO!!! That’s when the romantic stage “ends.” Now you’re really dealing with the reality of each partner. This is when the real work and real reason why you are in that relationship begins. Your individual growth, the work your partner is there to help you with; don’t push it away.
This will be very challenging and difficult to get through if you didn’t take the time to establish a good foundation, first within yourself as an individual and then as a couple. And while chemicals can help you fall in love, staying in love, is ultimately up to both of you. It is a conscious choice you each make and something that takes work to develop and nurture on a daily basis.
Blessings,
LifeCoachAngel