Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

As a Whole Life coach, I couldn’t let Valentine’s Day pass by without talking about LOVE. It’s that romantic, heady, amazing force that drives every aspect of life.

You may never have thought of it, but love relationships go through stages that are similar to the development stages of a business. This week’s article will compare the stages of love and the stages of a relationship. By the end, you’ll have some strategies for managing each stage.

The Seed Stage

In a business, the seed stage is the idea stage. It’s when you’re thinking, “Maybe I ought to go into this business.” Relationships have seed stages too. It’s when you’ve met someone and you like them. You start to REALLY like them. And they like you back. You’re thinking, “Maybe I ought to pursue this.”

Well, just as with a business idea, you have to keep your head about you. Before you decide to invest the time, energy, and emotions into a new relationship, take some time. Keep it cool. It’s like the line in that Jennifer Paige song, “It’s not like everything I do depends on you.” Too many people start trying to be what they think the other person wants them to be. “He likes sports so I’ll start learning football terminology.” “She’s involved in church, so I’ll start going with her on Sundays.”

Don’t get me wrong, there’s no problem having shared interests. Just make sure that you don’t lose yourself. It’s better to adopt the attitude that says, “Look. I’ll be me and you be you. If you see something you don’t like, there’s the door. If you like what you see, keep coming by.”

Here are some keys for navigating the seed stage.

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