15 Meaningful Ways to Say “I Love You”
These meaningful ways to say “I love you” to your partner will keep her or him happy, your love alive, and your relationship strong!
Before the love tips, here’s a quip from Amy Tan about relationships:
“I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever.” – Amy Tan.
To balance Amy Tan’s romantic view of love, read Mitch Albom’s more practical The Five People You Meet in Heaven - click on the book cover for more info. And to achieve your goal of a strong, happy relationship, read on for 15 meaningful ways to say “I love you”, read on…
Finding practical, meaningful ways to say “I love you” to your partner can be challenging – especially when your actions speak louder than words! Showing love regularly is a worthwhile habit since healthy relationships reduce stress, improve perspective, and boost the immune system.
15 Meaningful Ways to Say “I Love You” to Your Partner
1. Flow with the ups and downs. Sometimes you’re in a lousy mood, hurt, stressed, or need to be alone; the same goes with your partner. Every relationship has ups and downs. As long as there’s no physical or emotional abuse, learn to ride the valley to the next peak. That’s a good way to say “I love you”: trust in your relationship and have faith that the rocky or even boring times will pass.
2. Forgive. Forget. Don’t bring the past into your current discussions or problems. To achieve your marriage goals, say I love you to your partner by letting go of past mistakes and disappointments.
3. Accept your partner’s beliefs about relationships. You may have a different or even conflicting view about the way relationships “should” work. To achieve your marriage goals, talk about your different expectations and find common ground.
4. Speak up for your needs. Forget the “If you loved me, you’d know,” game or expect your partner to read your mind. If you don’t state your needs, you can’t get angry or frustrated at your partner for not meeting them. To achieve your marriage goals, a good way to say I love you to your partner is by being open and honest.
5. Don’t be afraid to disagree. Having different perspectives won’t ruin your relationship, but abuse, name-calling, and criticism will. Learn how to accept that your partner disagrees with you and still say “I love you.”
6. Ask questions. Maybe you don’t understand why your partner usually forgets your birthday or leaves dirty socks everywhere but in the laundry hamper. Ask why. Getting to the root of the behavior provides more insight than complaining about it. To achieve your marriage goals, a good way to say I love you to your partner is by being curious!
7. Face problems as they arise. Don’t ignore problems or let your resentment simmer. Be honest about how you feel, and try to understand your partner’s motivations.
8. Listen carefully. Saying “I love you” involves truly listening to your partner’s concerns – without judging them. Often we just need someone to hear us, and to try to see things from our perspective.
9. Have fun together! Figure out what makes you laugh and incorporate those movies, jokes, or activities into your life regularly. To achieve your marriage goals, respect that your sense of humor may be different than your partner’s.
10. Work hard to stay close. When you’re married or committed for the long term, you may drift apart especially when children, the mundane routine, or financial struggles arise. Learning how to say “I love you” to your partner no matter how difficult life is will keep your relationship strong.
11. Update your life goals and dreams regularly and keep your partner involved. When you include your partner in your goals, you’re saying “I love you” in a good way.
12. Be the first to apologize. The more you both try to smooth the bumps, the happier you’ll both be. Say I love you to your partner by being willing to make up, forgive, and forget.
13. Nurture your self-respect & self-esteem. Be someone you like and respect. Find meaningful work, get involved in the community or church, and pursue professional and personal growth. To achieve your marriage goals, explore your interests and passions, and share your life with your partner.
14. Cooperate. Don’t expect your partner to take the full load – whether it’s with the kids, housecleaning, relating to relatives, earning money, or investing. To achieve your marriage goals, a good way to say I love you to your partner is by going out of your comfort zone.
15. Examine bad relationships. Why do you keep choosing the wrong partner or end up in addictive relationships? Do you make the same mistakes repeatedly? Knowing how to say “I love you” may not effective if you’re in the wrong relationship.
What’s your favorite, most meaningful way to say “I love you” to your partner? How do you love to hear those sweet words? I’m a very practical person, so I’m not into the flowers, chocolates, or smelly soaps. I like when hubby cleans the bathroom, makes dinner, and does the laundry! What about you?
Comment by Laurie PK on 24 June 2009:
“To be brave is to love someone unconditionally, without expecting anything in return,” said Madonna. “To just give. That takes courage, because we don’t want to fall on our faces or leave ourselves open to hurt.”