Are You Sacrificing Too Much for Love?

Know when to say “yes” and when to stand firm.

Expressing How You Feel - You thought you might, maybe, sorta, kinda be in love him, even though you knew the timing wasn’t right for you to be together. But your soul was forcing you to say something, even though it was hard and probably wouldn’t lead you anywhere. Don’t berate yourself for exposing your feelings — congratulate yourself for being brave. No matter how it turns out, you’ll know that you did everything you could, and the peace that comes from that is a blessing. (Photo: Artiga Photo/Corbis)

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Balancing Act - We all make sacrifices great and small over the course of a relationship. Maybe your partner wants you to order in Indian food when you’d rather have Chinese or he wants you to move across the country so he can take a great new job. But are you giving up too much for love? Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide when to say “yes” and when to stand firm. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: Artiga Photo/Corbis)

Don’t Make it About the Other - It’s a cliché for a reason: “It’s not you, it’s me,” is a good strategy for being honest about why you’re leaving while simultaneously decreasing the chance of an argument popping off. Focus on how the relationship makes you feel — not on listing every single thing they’ve ever done to upset you. You’re already leaving, right? There’s no need to be mean about it. (Photo: Eric Raptosh Photography/Getty Images)

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How Committed Am I? - If you’re not all the way in, it probably doesn’t make sense to make big changes to your life for his sake. Keep it moving.  (Photo: Eric Raptosh Photography/Getty Images)

Moving Forward - If you insist on looking for ways to insult him during disagreements or bring up the past on a continual basis, you’re not ready to move forward. (Photo: Image Source/Corbis)

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Am I Always the One to Give In? - While sacrifice is a part of being a partner, there needs to be some reciprocity. If one of you is the one who always sacrifices, it can lead to an imbalance of power and breed resentment, which can destroy your relationship over time. (Photo: Image Source/Corbis)

Appreciate and Compliment Each Other More - Sometimes it’s being told that you are appreciated and loved that can make a difference in a relationship. So let them know how great they are and show them how much you're trying. (Photo: 68/Ocean/Corbis)

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Has He Been Grateful for Past Sacrifices? - If you have given up things big or small for him in the past, has he appreciated that you chose to make him happy? Or has he simply expected you to shift for him, as if there was no other option?  (Photo: 68/Ocean/Corbis)

Photo By Photo: 68/Ocean/Corbis

Make Eye Contact - Looking someone directly in his eyes is a powerful tool for signaling your interest. In fact, studies show that we typically only make eye contact for a fraction of a second with people who fall outside our immediate circle, which just shows how intimate it is. It’s especially useful for connecting with someone who is at least a few feet away, say standing at a bar or across the room. Look in his eyes for one to three seconds. Then look away. Then look again and smile. With a little luck, he’ll be looking your way, too. (Photo: skynesher/Getty Images)

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Would He Do It for Me? - If you asked the same of him, would he be willing to sacrifice for your happiness? If you have a doubt, ask him. Trust your gut.  (Photo: skynesher/Getty Images)

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Is There Another Way? - Not all decisions need be either/or. If he’s all about heading to the county fair for your next date but you want to spend the day at the movies, plan your day to accommodate both. Compromise! (Photo: Fuse/GettyImages)

Being Lonely Increases Your Risk - Round up your girls, stat. Researchers have found that women who spend a lot of time sans friends are more likely to develop breast cancer. They think it’s because loneliness causes stress, which contributes to tumor growth.  (Photo: LWA-Sharie Kennedy/Corbis)

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Why Am I Considering This Route? - To keep the peace? So he’ll owe you one? Because you don't want to upset him? Examine your motivation before you acquiesce. If it’s more about avoiding drama than it is about embracing your future together, it will likely backfire. (Photo: LWA-Sharie Kennedy/Corbis)