In my opinion, we need to include the following ingredients into our recipe for a long-term loving relationship: chemistry, compatibility, communication, compromise, and last but not least, commitment.

Chemistry: Does he make your heart pound and your toes curl? Do you recall all his touches and moves when you are alone? Do you want to rip his jeans off at the end of the date? Chemistry is great to have, but it’s only a start. The infatuation will end. Don’t commit yourself to a relationship unless you have the rest of the Cs too.

Compatibility: Do you enjoy or even hate the same things? Does he make you feel at ease when you are together? Compatibility is the key to sustain a relationship over the long run. It provides the quality that makes our life a bit sweeter. It includes the following areas, such as sense of humour, matching interests, common backgrounds, and similar values. But please bear in mind that unless you are willing to accept the other person for who he or she is with all his or her differences and imperfections, your relationship is doomed. A simple example is that if you are not on the same page about having kids, you are not compatible.

Communication is the most important aspect of all the Cs that can make or break a relationship. It sounds obvious and simple, but then why are so many couples arguing without finding a resolution to the problem? Communication includes verbal and non-verbal levels. On a verbal level is an art of listening, hearing and understanding. On the other hand, it can be a look, a hug, or a touch of the hand without any particular reason. Remember, disagreements are natural in a relationship. Good communication allows you to discuss everything openly with your partner without having to feel that you need to compromise your core values. When an argument occurs, with the help of communication, you can also learn how to forgive and how to move on afterwards.

Compromise or give & take or meet halfway – doesn’t matter how we name it – is essential in every relationship. First we need to recognise that we are two different people, brought up with different values in different cultures, etc., hence we might not share the same views on things. It basically prevents us from going into a battle for the wrong reasons, and it helps us create a win-win situation at the end.

Commitment is my favourite aspect of all, probably because that is where I see the biggest problem. So many of us are in a wait and see state when we go into a relationship, after all, there is always someone better at the corner. But is it really true? We might find that the new person is better at certain things, but he or she could easily be lacking some other important qualities. Then we need to move on to find a different partner. But when do we stop? Do we really want to wait until we turn 40-50 or 60 or even above to realise that we are still on our own searching for Mr. or Ms. Perfect? Well, let me spill the beans, there is no such thing as perfect, so it will be a long, long wait.