Is your relationship Going Places?
It's hard being single. You have the social stigma attached to being single. Plus there's no one there to cheer you up after a bad day, or attend your sister's wedding with, or try out the latest new restaurant.
Even something as simple as going to the cinema can sometimes mean phoning around your mates trying to find one who's willing or free to go with you.
For this very reason many people find themselves staying in a dead-end relationship simply because they're afraid of being single again. The unfortunate thing is, often only one partner actually knows that the relationship is temporary.
So how can you tell if you're relationship is going places or likely to end when he or she meets someone else?
Meet the parents
If your partner hasn't introduced you to their folks or worse still, they don't even know you exist, it's not a healthy sign. People who are truly in love will want to show you off and seek the approval of the others they love. If they haven't done this you have to ask yourself why this is?
They still go out with their mates
Most of us like our other halves having friends but when they're still regularly rolling in at 2am from the pub or from a nightclub, perhaps they aren't taking your relationship as seriously as you are.
When they go out with friends, you aren't invited
No one wants to be the clingy partner, always asking why you aren't invited too but when you're never invited out with their friends, it's probably because they're hoping to meet someone else or are talking about things they won't want to discuss in front of you.
Moving in
Moving in together is a serious commitment and parting will require discussions about who gets what and who needs to find a new home. Some 'long-running but getting nowhere' relationships go on for years but the moment things become serious, you'll find out how committed they really are.
Planning ahead
Assuming you've been together for a while, most couples like planning ahead so they have things to look forward to but as above, thinking six months or a year ahead is scary if you aren't in the relationship for the long haul. If they're dying to see you next week but keep changing the subject when you mention a holiday in Australia next year, ask yourself why?
Labels and status
If they don't like the term boyfriend/girlfriend or if they're reluctant to change their Facebook status, there's usually a reason why. That reason is because they've already got one foot out of the door and are just waiting for something better to come along.
