Hold on a second, does your relationship really need rescued?  You sometimes hear wives, husbands, boyfriends or girlfriends saying that their marriage or romance needs a “relationship rescue,” as though someone else has the power to save them.  In reality, however, the only person who can truly rescue you relationship . . . is you! 

In today’s in-you-face society, we are constantly faced with a media that showcases phony love and relationship doctors who claim to know how to solve your relationship problems and save your romance or marriage.  They say they can rescue your relationship, when in reality they are only looking for better ratings.  And the best ratings come from showcasing relationship problems in front of the millions of viewers who want to see romantic couples who have worse relationship problems than they have.  Relationship rescue?  I don’t think so!

If you really need your relationship to be rescued, you should look to yourself and your significant other before looking at anyone who tells you they are your only hope for a relationship rescue.  Every romantic relationship is unique, with very personal and uniqe memories, events and dynamics.  For anyone else to suggest that they are your only hope to save your marriage or relationship is plain hogwash.

So, does your marriage or romance need a relationship rescue?  It very well may, but before you start looking elswhere for someone to save it, you have better sit down and ask yourself what your real problems are.  The best relationship rescue always comes from the same people who need rescuing!

P.S. : Congratulations to Brian Wu, the winner of our big contest that ended today!

If you’re a regular reader of Romance Tracker, you know that we like to focus on good old-fashioned romance rather than the physical aspect of making love.  But remember, “making love” can mean many things, not just the physical act of intercourse.  So let’s focus for a moment on how a truly romantic person can go about making love more prevalent in their life and create more romance in their relationship.

So, is it really possible to “make love” exist in your life, or is romance something that needs to happen on its own without your intervention?  Well, a little of both.  True, making love play a more active role in your life is greatly facilitated by a romantic partner to share a loving relationship with.  But making love isn’t only possible with the help of a husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend.  There are plenty of ways for single people to make love and romance a central part of their lives and make themselves more prepared for the time when that special person comes along.   

And if you are lucky enough to already be in a romantic relationship with that special someone, then “making love” probably won’t be necessary at all.  You see, when you’re in the presence of your sweetheart, love tends to happen on its own . . . and your only responsibility is to enjoy the romance!  Making love as a single person may mean surrounding yourself with a romantic environment, but once you’re in a relationship, “making love” should take on an entirely different meaning!

Making love a priority in your life, whether you’re single, married, or dating, is the first step toward a long-lasting, committed relationship that will bring you more joy and satisfaction than you can possibly imagine.  And before you start getting nervous, there really isn’t anything complicated at all about making love a priority.  It just takes a little patience, a little understanding, and a willingness to appreciate the great things that romance can bring to your life.

So the next time you hear someone use the term ”making love,” look beyond the regularly-accepted meaning of the term and ask yourself if you’re doing everything you can to “make love” exist in your life. This might mean different things to you depending on whether you’re single or in a committed relationship, but either way I guarantee you that making love can vastly improve your life! 

So, why does romantic love get all of the attention?  While Romance Tracker deals mainly with romantic love—or love involving amorous and sensual feelings for a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife—it’s worth mentioning that romantic love isn’t the only type of love out there.  Platonic love, which is the love you might feel for a close friend or family member, is also a very powerful emotion.

Since our subject material on Romance Tracker revolves around romantic love, you won’t see us discussing platonic love very often.  But platonic love’s importance in our everyday lives and relationships is at least worth a closer look.

While romantic love between a man and a woman is usually considered the most powerful form of love, the strength of platonic love can’t be underestimated.  Platonic love has driven parents, friends, and even soldiers to commit astonishingly brave and selfless acts.  Platonic love, not romantic love, has been seen in powerful acts of parenting, camaraderie, patriotism, and friendship throughout human history.

While platonic love may not be quite as intense and blinding as romantic love, that makes it no less momentous.  And, truthfully, the real romantic person is able to let romantic love and platonic love play equal, powerful roles in their lives.  While you may hold romantic love only for that one special sweetheart, platonic love allows you to have strong feelings for countless other people in your life.

So the next time you are pondering the influence of romantic love in your life, ask yourself if you also concentrate on the equally important inclusion of platonic love.  Allowing yourself to develop close relationships with friends, co-workers and other family members will allow you to add more platonic love to your life . . . and will help you learn how to be a more attuned, sensitive romantic lover, as well!

Becoming involved in a serious romantic relationship can be a pretty overwhelming experience, especially if you’ve never had the privilege of being in love before. It’s hard to think of many things that deserve to be treated with more seriousness and commitment than the romance you have with your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband!

The problem with thin skin

Like everything in life, though, it’s possible to take your romantic relationship or marriage a little too seriously. One of the most important ingredients in a successful relationship is the ability to laugh and have fun even in the face of problems. Thin skin, chronic jealousy and an inability to take stress in stride will all chip away at your relationship and make your sweetheart less likely to trust and share things with you.

External stresses are inevitable in even the best relationships. The words and actions of others, random events and even financial worries can be unpleasant to deal with, but taking them too seriously gives them power over your life and your happiness.

You decide how you feel!

Remember: no person or event has the power to make you upset or unhappy. The only person who decides how you’re going to feel . . . is you! Worrying or obsessing about things that you have no control over–and that your sweetheart had nothing to do with–lets those things affect the health of your romantic relationship.

Now why in the world would you want to let those pitiful outside influences have any control over the happiness of you and your special someone?

Trusting your sweetheart

For some people who take their romance too seriously, the root of the problem is fear that their relationship is going to end. That’s an understandable worry for anyone who values their relationship, but getting bent out of shape over any small event makes a breakup more likely, not less.

Trusting your lover, and being confident that they assign the same amount of importance to your relationship as you do, is the first step in denying outside influences any control over your happiness.

Rather than immediately getting offended or stressed out over something, ask yourself: does this really threaten our relationship? Is my sweetheart really someone who would let this have a negative affect on our happiness?

When you come to the conclusion that the answer to both questions is “no,” make yourself a promise that you won’t let this event have power over your happiness by taking it too seriously.

By learning to take things less seriously and laugh at events that are out of your control, you’ll make your sweetheart feel more trusted, more understood, and more loved.

So, when’s the last time you gave your special someone a genuine compliment?

With good manners and politeness getting less and less common in today’s brusque society, even romantic relationships and marriages are starting to suffer from a lack of common courtesy and compliments. Sure, your girlfriend, wife, husband or boyfriend may already know that you think they are attractive or exciting or intelligent. But why should that stop you from using romantic ideas  and complimenting them every now and then?

Compliments shouldn’t only be reserved for new acquaintances or people who you’re trying to impress. The special people whose support we sometimes take for granted need an occasional compliment, too. A simple “you look very nice today” or “I’m very proud of the job you are doing” can make your lover feel like a million bucks.

There’s no reason to go overboard with compliments, of course, and too many can go to a person’s head or start sounding cynical. But promising yourself to give your significant other at least one nice compliment a day is a great way to make your lover feel appreciated and add some good old-fashioned romance to your relationship.

By the way, did I mention that you’re a great person for reading Romance Tracker and subscribing to our RSS Feed?

When you consider how much importance today’s self-centered society attributes to independence and promiscuousness, you can understand why some people might think that old-fashioned romantic ideas just don’t exist in relationships and marriages anymore. The airwaves and the Internet are filled with examples of people shunning monogamous relationships and romance for self-gratification and indulgence, and romantic couples are usually presented as silly and out-of touch.

Luckily, however, true romance really does still exist out there. It’s tough to point out old-fashioned romantics not because they are on the decline, but because old-fashioned romance by its nature is really the opposite of flashy; romance is quiet, romance is patient, and romance is subtle. If someone goes out of their way to show the world how romantic their relationship is, it’s usually not real romance they’re trying to promote at all.

The flashy, shallow stuff may get the air time, but there are millions and millions of couples across the world who are dedicated to each other and who keep romance alive in their relationships in quiet, understated ways every day.

What is true romance? True romance isn’t buying your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend a truckload of flowers and presenting them live on television for the world to see; it’s giving your lover a single rose every week for the rest of your life. True romance isn’t declaring your infatuation for someone in front of an audience of millions; it’s being there for that special person every day, no matter how hard things get, and regardless of how many people know you’re doing it.

Once romantic gestures become widely publicized, they just aren’t as romantic anymore. You can be sure that every day, a million romantic stories play out in a million different places across the world. You’ll never know about the vast majority of them . . . and that’s part of what makes them so romantic! If you’re truly in love with someone, just making them happy in unique and romantic ways is a reward in itself.

So the next time you see an elderly husband and wife walking hand-in-hand in the park, or an adoring boyfriend holding the door for his smiling girlfriend, remember: that is what true romance is, not the over-the-top, flashy stuff you see on television.

A few huge gestures don’t make a person’s life romantic. What makes a romantic life is an endless series of subtle, simple, thoughtful acts of love.

Romantic touching is a vital element in every successful relationship, but far too often couples concentrate on just sexual expression when trying to come up with romantic ideas to introduce more physicality. The truly romantic couple, though, knows the importance of incorporating simple, frequent and random acts of touching throughout their day. A quick hug, a kiss on the cheek, and holding your lover’s hand are all extremely important parts of adding old-fashioned romance to your relationship or marriage.

The very best romantic ideas are the simplest ones, and you can’t get much simpler and meaningful than romantic hand-holding. Holding hands with your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband is something you can do anyplace and at any time. It’s profoundly powerful in showing your lover how much they mean to you, and is a tasteful way to be physical in public without seeming too clingy.

Few issues inspire more smiles from a young couple in love than seeing an elderly husband and wife holding hands during a walk in the park. “That’s going to be us someday,” they say with a grin. But if you’re really serious about introducing romance into your lives, why can’t that be you today?

Unfortunately, hand-holding has become less and less common in a world that emphasizes individuality and self-reliance in relationships. Some people might think that if they are seen holding hands with their significant other, they might be looked at as too sappy or dependant. While it’s true that some people might make that judgment, why in the world would you let anyone else decide whether or not you should add more romantic touching to your relationship?

Holding hands on a regular basis will make you more comfortable with each other, soothe your mood during stressful times, and is a great way to show the world how proud you are to be with your special someone. If you aren’t in the habit of holding hands with your sweetheart, today is a great day to start!

Before you roll your eyes at the title of this post, remember that frequent small, romantic ideas are far more important to building better relationships and marriages than infrequent, elaborate gestures like expensive gifts or vacations. And giving your significant other a simple, heartfelt kiss on the cheek is an extremely effective, easy way to show you love them many times a day.

While many people might think of a kiss on the cheek as something a parent or grandparent gives to a child, you shouldn’t be afraid to use a quick peck on the cheek to express your feelings to your lover when time or circumstances don’t allow for anything more. When we’re in a hurry, when we’re about to leave each other, or when we meet briefly and unexpectedly, a kiss on the cheek is the perfect way to say “I love you.”

And for those of you who are afraid of seeming to be too clingy in public, a simple kiss on the cheek is a tasteful, unsappy way to express your love in front of others. If you can get comfortable enough to add holding hands with your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend in public, you’ll be on your way to a much more romantic, fulfilling relationship!

The next time you feel the urge to give your significant other a kiss, don’t let anything stop you. If you do, you might be missing out on a chance to add a whole lot more old-fashioned romance to your relationship!

Here’s a fun romantic idea I got from the special someone in my life who surprised me last year with a terrific, thoughtful gift that made me feel great. Being romantic comes naturally to some people, and she knows that showing an interest in your lover’s history is a great way to make them feel like a special and important part of your life.

If you’ve been in a romantic relationship or marriage with your sweetheart for any significant amount of time, I’m sure you’ve gotten a chance to see plenty of pictures of them from their past. Looking at baby pictures, school yearbook pictures, and silly old family photos of your lover is a fun way to learn about their past and laugh with them. And reaching the point where you’re comfortable enough with your significant other to show them your most embarrassing pictures marks a very important time in your relationship!

If you’re able to get your hands on a few dozen loose photos from your lover’s past, why not take some time to secretly put together a fun scrapbook of memories for them? Even if you’ve never made a scrapbook before, it’s very easy to do. Your local craft store probably has an entire section dedicated to scrapbooking, complete with lots of fun stuff to make a book with every theme imaginable.

For an even bigger surprise, you could do what my sweetheart did for me: ask your significant other’s family for fun pictures that they may have stored away to add to the scrapbook. Your lover will be amazed when they open the scrapbook of memories you made for them and see pictures they forgot even existed!

Dedicate a few private minutes every day to working on your surprise romantic scrapbook, and in a few weeks you’ll have a great romantic gift to spring on your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband when they least expect it. I guarantee your romantic scrapbook will be something that your special someone will love and save for the rest of their life. When you give it to them is strictly up to you!

Thank-you letters are a quick and easy way to show your appreciation to others for their thoughtfulness, and few other romantic ideas are as affordable or affective at letting someone know how much their actions mean to you. Especially in today’s impersonal, fast-paced world, a few short, simple, hand-written thank-you cards are wonderful romantic ideas that will make a person feel great.

But unfortunately, many of us limit our thank-you notes to friends and colleagues who have done something special for us, or to people who give us gifts. Sending thank-you letters to gift-givers and other people is great, but when is the last time you sent a romantic thank-you note to that special someone who does more for you than anyone else in the world?

In many romantic relationships or marriages, especially ones that have gone on for some time, it’s easy for partners to take for granted all of the wonderful things their significant others do for them on a daily basis. While some of us wouldn’t think twice about firing off a thank-you card to a colleague who helped us with a business lead, we might overlook the fact that our sweetheart does much more significant things for us every day.

Regardless of whether or not your girlfirend, boyfriend, husband or wife has hinted that they might like a gesture of gratitude for the time and effort they put into your relationship, it helps to keep in mind that everyone–and I mean everyone–appreciates getting a “thank you” every now and then for the things they do. I don’t care if you think your love would think it’s sappy or silly to receive a hand-written note thanking them for being a great partner. I guarantee you they’ll love it!

And your thank-you note to your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t have to be for any specific, special event, either. Why not write to your sweetheart just to say thanks for loving you? Or for being there every day? Or for anything at all?

What form of a thank-you note you use is up to you. You could grab an inexpensive romantic greeting card on the way home from work and add a few short words of your own, or pen a long, flowery, romantic letter if that suits your relationship better. You know your special someone better than anyone else, and oftentimes a few short words are just as powerful and moving as a long letter.

Speaking of a few short words being just as powerful . . . I need to wrap this post up! Now go write your special someone a thank-you note, doggone it!