It's easy to fall in love with a puppy.

You walk through the door and there's this barking, and tail wagging, and panting, and licking, and excitement.

I love puppies.

Until...

Ok, here's the honest truth (as pointed out by Dr. Scott Stanley). When you fall in love with a puppy, you fall in love with the front end. It doesn't take long for a puppy to pee on the carpet, poop under your bed, or hump your leg to realize they're not all face-melting cuteness, and tummy rubs.

The back end of the puppy requires some effort and maintenance. It requires the occasional cleanup, or the an early-morning walk outside with a plastic bag in hand. Dealing with this side of the dog is not fun.

Yet, when you love a puppy, you're willing to clean up after it, and train it, and nurture it.

If you haven't figured it out yet, this puppy story is an analogy for relationships.

The best couples know how amazing and wonderful and joyful their love has been and will continue to be. At the same time, they recognize that their relationship has a butt that poops.

One of the cool things about relationships is that we create the messes... which means that through the process of cleaning them up, we can learn how to prevent them, or deal with them more effectively and efficiently.

Dynamic couples with mind-blowing love are constantly working on themselves. They're learning how to communicate with kindness and patience, how to inspire their partner to be their best self, and how to fill their life with gratitude, appreciation, passion, and connection.

These couples know that meaningful conversations can happen regularly if they put a little more thought into their questions, and display a little more curiosity towards the life of their partner.

They know that an argument is an opportunity to practice empathy, compassion, kindness and understanding rather than an excuse to be right and win a battle.

These partners know that the only thing that overshadows the joy that comes with accomplishing one of their own personal goals is helping the person they love accomplish their goals.

They are willing to say "no" to great opportunities because they don't align with their core values and goals.

They take responsibility for the messes they create. They apologize. They forgive. They don't hold grudges against their partners or themselves.

Relationships are like puppies. They are amazing, and fun, and can bring you so much joy if you're willing to do a little cleanup.

[jbox title="Show Notes:" border="5" radius="15"] You can read Amber's post about listening to your heart here, or read more of her writings on her website. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram. You can follow Farhad's Instagram here.

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