Rinatta Paries

Most people think that once they meet the right partner, they'll automatically have a great relationship. They don't realize that creating a great long-term relationship requires the right tools for the job.

Let me give you an example. Peter has had many short-lived romances or flings. He believes the reason for the short-lived nature of most of his past relationships is because he hasn't yet met the right person. Read more…

For some reason, when I think of relationship lessons, I start thinking of country songs. You know . . . "You gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run."

OK. Enough of that.

Here, I've outline a list of 10 relationship lessons that can be applied to any relationship in your life -- whether it be your lover, friend, or family member. Keep these in mind and you'll keep your grip on a healthy and fulfilling relationship. Read more…

Valentine's Day. It doesn't pass by without your notice. Even if you're single and think the day has no significance, the day arrives and leaves you wanting a relationship more than usual. On the other hand, if you're in a relationship and Valentine's Day comes and goes without being celebrated, it'll leave hurt and resentment in its wake.

I invite you to think of Valentine's Day as "Focus on Love Day," as opposed to "Hurt About Lack of Love Day" or "Ignore Being Single Day." Read more…

It's been said a million times in many different ways: Men and women are different. Understanding the inherent differences between the sexes is an industry. Consider, for example, the success of the Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus series. Read more…

Losing a loved one is never easy. Even when the loss is your choice, it isn't easy. Whether a person experiences a break up of a relationship, a death of a loved one, or another powerful loss, there are predictable stages one goes through, predictable feelings one feels.

Swiss-born psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross described the five classic stages of the coping with grief and loss. According to Kubler-Ross, a person experiencing loss will go through all of the stages, in any order. The five stages are: Read more…

For many people, dating and relationships are a practice in mind-reading. When you start dating someone, isn't your mind often busy analyzing your date's every action: Does she like me? What does he mean by that? Will he call again? Did I say the right thing and will he take it wrong? Will she reject me or judge me?

In a long-term relationship, the tendency to mind-read can become even worse. Will she nag me when I get home? Will he listen to what I have to say? What does he really feel? What does she want? Read more…

I like questions. Deep questions, profound questions. I like the kind of questions that when asked and answered turn my view of the subject completely on its head. I like questions that give me goose bumps, or maybe leave me bewildered and confused for a while because they bring up such complexity.

And I like asking you such questions. I like to think that your ideas about relationships are turned upside down and something new opens up for you. Read more…

Ah, the sweet smell of love. Why can it fade?

When singles dream about being in love and in a relationship, they seldom dream of getting together with a partner for a few months or years, only to break up and go on to find another partner. They're looking for that one person that'll last their lifetime.

And, for those of us in relationships -- even in relationships that may be experiencing turbulence -- hope we can be in our relationship for a lifetime as well. We hope we can find a way to work out our difficulties and make our love last. Read more…

This is part two of a series on the predictable stages of a relationship. To read part one, click here.

How a couple negotiates the fourth stage -- Power Struggle -- determines what stages they will encounter next. I cannot stress enough how important it is to negotiate the power struggle stage successfully in order to keep your relationship alive and thriving. Read more…