It took me awhile to realize that healthy relationships do consist of fighting. It may be over big things or little, but fights are normal. In fact, I find a relationship to be more legitimate when there is fighting.

Obviously, there are times when fighting isn't good: when it becomes unhealthy. It's when your partner is toxic to you. That's not what I'm talking about.

Growth is so important in relationships. If you aren’t growing with your partner then what are you doing? How do you stay with someone for an extended period of time and NOT change or grow? I feel like, as humans, our growth is essential in all aspects of our life. It is an insane thought that two people could be progressing through a relationship without initiating personal growth.

I think it's important to be 100% open in a relationship. There shouldn't be anything you hold back. If you're holding something back, it's just going to result in further issues in the future. The best way to make a relationship work is to communicate. Not just about the good things, but also the bad.

Yes, sometimes it means arguments here and there. But the growth that results from working together to fix issues makes the relationship a hell of a lot stronger in the long run. If someone works on fixing things with you, you know that they really want to be with you. You see the effort they are willing to put into you. It's a validating feeling, if anything.
As humans, we aren't meant to get along 24/7. Sometimes we get on each other's nerves or we need a break, and it's essential that we allow ourselves to deal with that in a healthy way.

If there's anything I've learned from the relationships I've been in, it's that growth should be inevitable. I'm not saying you should change for the person you're with. I'm saying that you two should grow together. You should make each other better people. You should be each other's cheerleaders and confidants, no matter what.

You shouldn't be the same people you were when you first started dating. You should be growing as a couple; learning each other and learning how to best be there for one another.

I've grown so much in my current relationship. I've seen so much growth on my partner's side as well. She is not the same person she used to be. We've grown together, in the best of ways. I think it's vitally important to stay self-aware in relationships. It's crucial to stay true to yourself and your partner. If something isn't working for you, reach out and try to get help from your partner. The growth that ensues will only make you stronger.