If you've ever been in a relationship, are in one now or want to be in the future - this book was written for you... You could almost categorize any relationship in your life in terms of closeness. Call it intimacy, familiarity, whatever - it's more or less the same thing. How close you are, mentally, physically, even sexually. Whether someone lives near to you, whether you spend a lot of time together, share a history (or a plan for the future ), it all comes down to one thing: the extent to which they've closed that distance that was once between you, when you were both strangers to one another. No two people resolve this distance in quite the same way, of course. Relationships are as similar to each other as the people that make them - that, is, not at all And just as two strangers can eventually become each other's most significant others ...they can also go back to being strangers, with time. As much as closeness defines relationships, it also defines all the ways they can go wrong. This theme of close/distant tension rears its head in more relationship complaints that it would first appear: - Someone is too "clingy" - Someone is resistant to committing - A couple are bored with life and with each other - Somebody cheats - The passion fades - A couple are deciding whether to split - Someone "loses themselves" in their relationship In this book, we'll be getting to the root that all these problems share: how to negotiate intimacy and that fine line between "me" and "us." But we'll take it a step further: we'll look not only at how to fix these issues in your relationships, but how struggling with intimacy can actually be a blessing in disguise As human beings, we are all connected. We all "complete" each other, in one way or another. Wherever your relationship is at the moment, and whatever challenges you're experiencing, this book is about getting to grips with this fact of human connection, and how it's playing out in your own life, right this very moment. By understanding the deeper roots of how and why we connect with one another, this guide will offer you a fresh perspective on what it means to love. By embracing challenging differences, your relationship "problems" can actually become a source of growth and happiness With case studies and exercises you can use to put the key principles into practice, this book will help you to craft personal relationships that are more authentic, joyful and balanced. If you'd like to learn to develop more authentic, healthier and joyful connections with others, then read on.