Marriage: Love is the reason. Lifelong friendship is the gift. Kindness is the cause. Till death do us part is the length.

— Fawn Weaver

Who we marry is one of the most important choices in life. One that will influence the level of happiness, growth, and success, like no other choice.

I am at that point in my life where I know what I want when it comes to dating and relationships. I value honesty, compassion, loyalty, friendship, and companionship.

As I have grown older, appearance has ceased being a great priority for me. I mean, it plays its part but I value the inner beauty and personality traits of my partner more than their height or the number of rock-hard abs across their abdomen. …

Love is great. Love is necessary. Love is beautiful. But love is not enough. — Mark Manson

I still get excited whenever I talk to my friend, Wilson. Last week, he walked into my office with a bounce in his step. He enthusiastically announced, “Today, I am going to share a truth many people do not know — love is not the most important aspect of a happy relationship.”

Wilson recently got married to the love of his life so this announcement was perplexing to me. He was, however, clearly excited about what he was about to tell me.

At the beginning of the conversation, I was very skeptical as I have thought for the longest time that nothing surpasses love in any successful relationship. However, I did not want to douse his fire, so, I listened. …

“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.”

— Hank Rosso.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more. These statistics haven’t changed much over time, and have been fairly consistent since the 1990s.

Lack of funding turns out to be one of the common reasons.

Money is the bloodline of any business. The painstakingly long yet exciting journey from the idea to revenue-generating business needs capital to fuel it. That is why entrepreneurs find themselves asking one key question at almost every stage of the business. …

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” — Yoda

Finding love is one thing, keeping it is another. There is no foolproof plan that will always work like a magic charm; or one-size-fits-all piece of advice. However, it is possible to find true love in this lifetime. And I hope you get to keep it, too.

Here are seven steps that worked for me that I believe might work for you, too:

1. Live your life as you want to live it.

When I started to discover more about myself and to follow my own path, I started to live a life that was meaningful to me. …

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ~Carl Jung

Many times when people want a new relationship, they either look for someone to complete them or they imagine sharing their life with someone just like them.

So, they try to present themselves in the best possible light for their imagined future partner — either as one perfect half of a whole or as an ideal version of what they believe their future partner will want.

In my experience, finding your forever love and soul mate requires a different, far more soul-enriching approach.

Here are six steps that worked for me that I believe might work for you…

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” — George Sand

I used to believe that a great relationship should be all sunshine and roses although I knew life is not perfect. Happiness is one of the most important factors that make a good relationship great, and I wanted the fairytale I see portrayed by our media.

I felt disappointed whenever my partner and I had a disagreement, no matter how slight — this did not agree with my image of a great relationship. …

Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. — Muriel Spark

It feels like it has been ages since I turned 20. The years are going by quite fast, and I have quickly realized it would have been okay to slow down when I was younger.

It would have been okay to ignore the things I worried about so much. I should have invested more time in my relationships and taken more time to reflect on my progress in life.

I should have enjoyed being 20-ish to the maximum, and geared up for focused work in the decade between 20 and 30. There is so much you can do in 10 years if you know what you want in life, but there is also so much that could go wrong if you do not. …

“The more thought and energy you invest while waiting, the stronger your feelings will become”. — Anonymous

Don’t do it. Do not invest more thought and energy while she slowly decides if she is into you.

When someone wants to be with you, they will usually make it known to you. You will not have doubts about how they feel about you.

But what about when you are getting mixed messages from someone you really like?

Sometimes she hangs onto every word you say, other times you worry that she couldn’t care less.

This kind of behavior makes dating and starting new relationships extremely frustrating and difficult. …