The next best thing to preventing conflict is having the skills to manage differences effectively. Most of us don't come into marriage with highly developed conflict-management skills, but these abilities can be cultivated through practice on the job.

If you follow these steps, you will open the space for love. Simultaneously, you will sharpen your character, build your confidence, discover your wants and desires, and tighten your awareness. Sounds like a win-win to me. Now, go prepare yourself for love!

"How do I know when I'm really in love?" "What does it mean to be in love?" "I think I'm in love, but then I have doubts." Such a big question! And we all wish there was an easy answer -- a formula we could follow to determine if we are in love.

Jerome Kern wrote, "When you're in love, smoke gets in your eyes." And that smoke can quickly turn into a smokescreen that you are unable to see through to see if your love relationship has any chance of lasting.

Ultimately, you chose your partner for a reason. You have a soul-level connection that can transcend any differences. Hold strong to that fact and you'll soon find that smarts and social can indeed go hand-in-hand in any relationship.

When a relationship becomes a one-way way street, it ends up at a dead end sooner or later. Learn to keep the traffic flowing both ways with conversation, forgiveness and mindful awareness to keep your relationship growing well into the future.