Is your significant other the right fit for you?

To me there are a few major issues to determine if the person you are dating is the right person for you.
The first issue is a fundamental belief. Do you and your partner have the same basic beliefs? I can't imagine not having the same principles or fundamental beliefs as your spouse. One of those for me is religion. How can I live and love someone and at the same time think that they are not going to heaven? I would be trying to constantly convince them to come around to my way of thinking. This isn't a egotist approach in which I am saying that my religion is right and yours is wrong. This is about anyone and their religion. If you belief that your faith is the right one, how can you accept the fact that your spouse is going the wrong direction? Wouldn't you want to save the person that you love the most?
Religion is just one of those basic principles that is critical for the relationship. There are others. Does the characteristics that are important to you come through strong in your relationship? For instance, honesty, how you treat others, anger, fairness, respect for elders, good with kids, etc. Everyone has their own set of characteristics that they are looking for in an individual. The point is, love only gets you so far. When it comes down to day to day life experiences, these differences will absolutely kill the love. If you lose the respect, then the love will follow.
Another true telling sign is the person you are when you are with that person. Some people make us better and some people make us worst. Are you proud of the person that you are when you are with that person? If you are fighting a lot, then that person is pulling you down rather than building you up. You can absolutely love a person but if that person makes you say or do things that you never thought you would do, then that is a destructive person. Love won't carry you through those relationships.
Respect is another critical issue. I believe that the man should be a leader in the house. This doesn't mean that the man will make all the decisions. This doesn't mean that the man has the final say. It does mean that the man should be the one that the rest of the family looks to for leadership. If the man isn't being a role model, then the wife is constantly having to compensate for the man's short comings. Children will always look at the father. Mothers are the nurturing, caring, loving and guidance providers. While they may know more than the father about the right behaviors, the father not being a leader and role model will undermine all of those actions by the mother. Respect is necessary for the husband to feel important. That is one of the strongest emotions for a man. Husband showing the wife respect is what is necessary for them to lead. While the man is trying to lead, if they aren't respecting the wife's opinion and wishes, then the relationship is headed for disaster.
The main point of this blog is that a relationship is more complicated than just love. Love can fade. Is the person you with the right person for you in every way? If there are major philosophical differences, then you should reconsider. The difficult part is when you are dating, those major differences aren't major. Your priorities are different at 20 than at 30. Don't ignore little signs.
When you get it right, the relationship will be one of the greatest gifts. Count your blessings. If you get it wrong, it can be extremely destructive. Pray for the guidance. Use your brain and not just your emotions. Be the person that you want your significant other to be.