Three Helpful Relationship Quotes

The subject of love and being together provide a near endless supply of relationship quotes. Some are funny, such as "Love Stinks" by the rock group the J. Geils Band; some are pithy like the old adage "love is blind". It sometimes seems as though everybody has a thought or two to share about relationships.

Some people may roll their eyes at such sayings, but it's a smart person who will take such sayings and try to apply them in a positive way to their own lives. What follows are three quotes that have a little more substance to them; each is followed by a few thoughts about what they mean.

Ursula LeGuin is the renowned author of the Earthsea series. She shares the following quote about love: "Love doesn't just sit there like a stone; it has to be made - like bread, remade all the time, made new." What a wonderful way to look at it! Love isn't something that you fall into and then remain complacent about. No, it takes work, but, just like baking bread, it's pleasant work. And the results are aromatic and satisfying. On the other hand, if this idea doesn't appeal to you, then it's a good sign you are not with the right person for you.

Even the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle weighed in with a relationship quote of his own when he assuredly noted, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." There's a lot of truth there. Being willing to make sacrifices, or put the other person first all hallmarks of love. That sounds great, but in reality, most people would consider themselves lucky if they found such a deep and lasting love as that; where they truly feel like one. And, yet, that's the true nature of love, even if it doesn't seem like it, even if it never reaches that level...the possibility is always there.

"Our greatest joy and our greatest pain comes in our relationships with others", is a thought expressed by self-help guru Stephen R. Covey, author of many books on effectiveness, including several on inter-personal relationships. The loss of a loved one, breaking up, and other traumatic events create the worst pains we as human beings go through. It's a fact of life. While relationships can be the source for such intense pain, they are also the source of our most positive feelings. Ultimately, the potential of so much pain is more than worth the wonderful feelings only relationships can provide.

Of course, those are only three of the nearly endless relationship quotes that have been written over the centuries. You can find many more by doing a simple online search for them. The trick though, is to not just read them, but to give them some thought. Once you do that, the next step is to apply them in a positive way to whatever relationship you are currently involved in.