There are things that you can do to make your relationship stronger and your bond closer. However, these are things that you can do to improve your relationship and you can share with your partner to make your relationship ever better. Relationship and marriage counselors have advice for those who want to strengthen their relationships. They often refer to these five keys to enriching your relationship. A marriage or a relationship takes a lot of work, don't every let anyone tell you otherwise. If you put effort and work into your relationship, you will be rewarded with a lasting bond.

Ditch the Baggage

The past is the past. What one person did or did not do to you is not necessarily what your current partner will do. Get rid of the baggage of past relationships and don't make your current partner pay for the sins of a past partner. Approach your relationship with a fresh perspective and a healthy attitude. Leave your past partner where they belong, in the past. Move forward and leave you ex in the past where they belong.

Show Respect

Respect your partner. This sounds simple but sometimes it can be difficult to accomplish. Respect is not controlling and domineering. Allow your partner to have a mind of their own. They will not be exactly like you, a carbon copy, and some of their traits may seem strange to you. However, if you learn to embrace their differences and quirks you will be much, much happier and more content.

Appreciate Your Partner

Appreciate the good things that your partner brings to your relationship. Appreciate that your partner is not your previous partner, much less like them. Be appreciative of your partner, how they treat you, the special things that they do and let them know that you appreciate them. Appreciation can be as elaborate as an elegant dinner to a simple hug with a thank you attached.

Don't Take Your Partner for Granted

Taking your partner for granted can be death to your relationship. Don't start overlooking all the things that you once appreciated in your partner. Don't get to the point where you stop seeing your partner for who they are. Help them keep their individuality and remember to see and embrace the special things in them. Let your partner know that you remember who they are beyond your husband or wife.

Don't be Afraid to Love

This is probably the most important key to a successful relationship. Don't be afraid to love. This means that you should not only love your partner, but love yourself as well. You can not truly love anyone else until you love yourself. You may feel love for others, but your self loathing will bleed into your relationships and act as a toxin, corrupting it and eventually ending it. Love yourself, accept who you are and don't be afraid to love your partner. Love leaves us vulnerable, but it is so rewarding and life changing. Let go, reach out and go for it.