Self-happiness refers to having a high regard for one’s own well-being and contentment. It is taking care of one’s own needs and not sacrificing them to please others. It always results in thinking highly of oneself, which attracts the same from partners. In general, self-happiness leads to success at both love and work. According to Fok and Check (2018), self-happiness plays a considerable role in relationships with romantic partners. Being happy from within fosters an appreciative spirit, which is a good trait in a relationship. Self-happiness is as essential as maintaining the other partner’s happiness. Many partners have separated due to issues regarding self-love, which underscores the importance of self-happiness in relationships.
People imitate how a person treats themselves, and this is usually witnessed in romantic relationships. Self-happiness is a product of self-love, which makes an individual set high standards for themselves. They treat themselves with respect and love and demand the same from others. This sends a signal to their partners and makes them comprehend what the person expects from them. For instance, if a person’s love language is receiving gifts, they should buy these gifts for themselves as an act of self-love (Chapman & Campbell, 2016). Consequently, their partner will demonstrate their love by buying presents for them. Self-happiness and self-fulfillment is a way of communicating to one’s partner on how better they can be loved. This strengthens the relationship between the two and cements it with respect and love.
Loving oneself and maintaining that happiness helps one to reflect more on how to love their partner. This is usually because, partners who have mustered the art of self-love find it easy to show love to others in the same manner. It is hard for an individual to love someone who is not contented with themselves. A person who does not have self-happiness tends to be critical of themselves and can deflect love shown to them by others. When a person learns to love and be happy with themselves despite innate flaws and mistakes, it makes it easier for partners to love them and look past their flaws. This results in a solid bond between the two partners, which is a success in any relationship.
No one can make one happy except for themselves because only a person can truly understand what contributes to their happiness. In romantic relationships, this is an important concept because many people expect to derive all their happiness from their partners. This places excessive pressure on one’s party and could result in an unhealthy relationship (Norona et al. 2017). Depending on someone else for happiness results in an unhealthy relationship. In as much as the love languages are ways that other people express their love, a person should also strive to perform these languages for themselves (Chapman & Campbell, 2016). For instance, words of affirmation and appreciation can emanate from oneself. This boosts self-happiness and contributes to the general success of a romantic relationship. In making one happy, a partner is likely to learn how to make the other happy. Filling oneself with love and happiness will result in an overflow of love happiness towards other people
In summary, a successful relationship necessitates self-love and self-happiness. The five love languages teaches people how to express love. It is also a lesson on how people experience love. Therefore, practicing these love languages on oneself can help increase self-happiness, which leads to meaningful romantic connections. Love thrives where the partners draw happiness not just from each other but also from within. Self-happiness is vital in maintaining relationships and the overall connection between partners for relationship success.
References
Chapman, G. & Campbell, R. (2016). The 5 love languages/5 love languages for men/5 love languages of teenagers/5 love languages of children. Moody Publishers.
Fok, H. K. & Cheng, S. T. (2018). Intimate relationships and happiness in Asia: A critical review. In M. Demir & N. Sümer (Eds.), Close relationships and happiness across cultures, (pp. 55-67).
Norona, J. C., Roberson, P. N. & Welsh, D. P. (2017). “I learned things that make me happy, things that bring me down” lessons from romantic relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Research, 32(2), 155-182.