Your relationship is a place you can feel completely loved for who you are . Yet many people don ’ t know what it means to create a safe space for each other . Bringing two people together from varying backgrounds , with different personalities , to form a relationship can include challenges . Both people in the relationship must be committed to creating a safe and vulnerable space to form the emotional intimacy a relationship needs to thrive .

It can be scary to open yourself up to someone else . Being vulnerable with your partner requires that you accept yourself first before you can open up and share with someone else . Vulnerability builds trust , knowing that your partner has your best interest at heart . It encourages you to take responsibility for your own feelings and builds confidence to share those feelings without judgement . It creates a strong bond between you and partner , deepening your love and commitment to each other . Knowing this is the one person you can truly be yourself with and still be accepted and loved .

Developing emotional intelligence is important to having a strong , successful connection . But what does it mean to have emotional intelligence ? The dictionary defines it as “ the capacity to be aware of , control , and express one ’ s emotions , and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically .” Emotional intelligence allows us to interact with other people successfully . Emotional intelligence starts with learning to become aware of your feelings and emotions and ultimately those of others .

Day to day life can trigger a variety of emotions . Understanding why these emotions arise means you can , ultimately ,

control how you react to them , taking responsibility for your emotions and behavior . To do this , you must understand what triggers certain emotions within you and within others . For example , if someone

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