LOVE - FRIENDSHIP - EGO

I believe the most enduring relationship is a relationship built on friendship. First, the couple starts off as friends. They then become very close friends, sharing many moments together and they become extremely comfortable with each other. Somehow, they develop feelings for each other, and they end up together. It is actually not that simple. There is a period of transition from a friendship phase to a more intimate phase. Crossing this phase is the difficult part.

Crossing the friendship threshold and attempting to move the relationship into the next level can destroy the beautiful friendship that probably has taken years to develop. Sometimes, one person is ‘more’ ready than the other. Both must be ready to move into next phase together, if the relationship is to continue.

So, this is a tough one. Do you reveal your feelings and take the risk of destroying a beautiful relationship?

One thing to remember is that you cannot control what the other person feels but you can try to understand how you feel before you take the bold step.

So ask yourself Can you live without the other person? If the other person finds someone else, the other person will not be spending much time with you. Can you live with that?

How do you feel when and if you see the other person being with another companion? What are your feelings? Jealousy, fear, anger, disappointment or nothing at all?

Do you think of the other person frequently throughout the day?

Do you look forward to being with the other person every time?

Your answers will give you an indication if you sort of have 'fallen in love' already. If that is the case, your choice is clear. You will need to let the other person know how you feel.


But..

Sometimes it all boils down to a critical three-letter word.

We call it the EGO.

Is the Ego really so bad? Not always. If by "ego" we mean "self-esteem", it's indispensable. Many people say that we can't start to love others until we love ourselves first. That's perfectly true - IF we're talking about the right kind of self-love.

But if your Ego means your needs, your honor, your sensitivities, always come first (and probably middle and last), you're playing with dynamite!

In love, there is always a risk. But if you don't reveal your feelings, it will eventually eat you up. If the other person responses positively, then you will enter a very new exciting phase in your life. However, there is a chance that the other person may not have the same feelings, then at least you now know and you can go on the mend. Either way, you would have moved away from the friendship phase.

If the relationship develops further and the couple becomes life partners, I can assure you that the partnership will be a very long one. The couple does not only have love but also friendship as the foundation of their relationship. The friendship will become very important in their golden years.

Let go of the need to support your own ego, and you'll free up an enormous amount of time and energy. Get beyond the shallow concerns of that ego, and you enable yourself to truly and fully live each moment.

Break free of the petty demands of your ego, and everything you do becomes more genuinely fulfilling. Leave your ego behind when you go out into the world, and your relationships will flourish like never before.

Of the factors that can hinder your progress, your ego is one of the most insidious. For the more it holds you back, the more it demands of you, and the more it demands of you, the more powerful it becomes.

Yet you have what it takes to break that cycle. For what it really takes is nothing more than the willingness to leave the limitations of your ego behind.

Choose to focus not on what you can take and hoard from each situation, but rather on what you can give and on the things you can cause to grow. Decide to expand your focus beyond your own concerns, and you'll greatly expand your influence.

Consider how much more bold, effective, creative and productive you can be when you are beyond the reach of the constant demands of your ego. Then choose to set yourself free.♥