As you set the stage for Valentines Day, use some of the following tips and let your heart do the talking.

Pay attention to the positives in your relationship by noticing the qualities of your partner that bring you pleasure. Discuss these with him from time to time and review them often for yourself.

When talking quietly together, be willing to reveal your own personal needs and opinions so that he has some access to your subjective world. Encourage him to take a risk and do the same with you.

Opposites attract. Genuine mutuality thrives on recognizing the differences in how you communicate. When it’s impossible to respect and honor what sets you apart, find the humor in the situation and fall back on laughter.

According to Donna, learning to recognize the differences in how she and her husband evaluated and worked through problems made their relationship much stronger. “We resolve conflict by trying to see what the other one needs. We’ll go around what we can’t agree on and make every effort to reach some compromise. It has taken years, but we’ve both grown to value our relationship more than being right.”

Do you have some tips of your own to share?