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It is widely believed by the old romantic types among us that there is a soul mate waiting for each and every one of us and that we just have to find them. We date many different people from all walks of life in the hope of meeting ‘the one’, and many dating websites are geared to doing just that. But with so many options to chose from, could eHarmony.co.uk be the answer?

If finding ‘the one’ is indeed down to fate or a set of coincidences or unforeseen circumstances, there is generally someone who can make us happier than anyone else, someone who can fulfil us romantically and intellectually and hopefully someone we would want to share our lives with.

Living in such a culturally diverse country as the UK, you would think it would be easy to find someone you click with. Yet eHarmony research has shown that despite a quarter of single people in the UK actively trying to find love, more than four in ten have gone out with someone they didn’t feel any compatibility with, while a third of those polled had dated someone who made them unhappy.

In the past, communities were tighter and it was common for people to largely remain within enclosed and intimate neighbourhoods. This meant that people tended to know everything about their partner before they committed to a serious relationship or marriage.

Living in these tight-knit communities meant that family and friends were also likely to know prospective partners or their family background, which enabled people to build up a picture of their character.

Today, it can be hard to find out someone’s character and background, especially when many of us often lead busy and hectic lifestyles. Often, we don’t really know our neighbours, and how many of really know the people we come into contact with in our daily lives? It seems that finding that perfect partner has never been harder. So why not get a bit of help along the way?

Not to be confused with other dating websites, eHarmony is a relationship service that focuses on bringing two highly compatible people together in the hope of building a healthy, long-lasting relationship. It focuses on core values and characteristics, rather than just superficial qualities.

With this website, there is no need to search through endless profile pictures basing your decision on how attractive the picture is; eHarmony goes deeper than that. After completing an in-depth questionnaire that gets to know the real you, it matches people on the areas of compatibility proven to form the foundations of a lasting relationship.

Guided communication steps enable you to get to know your matches and learn about yourself and what makes you happy. Whereas other dating sites can make you search through pictures and paragraphs of information, eHarmony searches on the most important areas of life such as character, intellect, sense of humour, spirituality, values, beliefs, passion and other dimensions you would never get from a picture or a fact file.

Finding ‘the one’ isn’t easy as we all know, but eHarmony really cares about matching people who are truly compatible and who have the potential for a serious relationship, and so it gives you the best possible chance of finding someone who is right for you. That magic chemistry may be far closer than you think!

Dr Gonzaga, a relationship expert for eHarmony, believes there are four lessons for findings and maintaining that ‘ever after’ relationship that many of us want. He thinks that knowing yourself and what you want out of life is crucial in helping you to identify the personal traits you need to share with a partner.

By completing eHarmony’s in-depth questionnaire, you will find out a lot about yourself and what you are looking for in a partner. Rather than just superficial qualities like appearance that many dating websites focus on, by looking for a partner with core characteristics you are more likely to have a meaningful and sustained relationship.

Dr Gonzaga also asks us to consider potential life-changing decisions we may have in the pipeline such as plans to move abroad in the short to medium-term future and whether or not you want to have a family. With the in-depth questionnaire, no stone will be left unturned.

Getting to know your partner takes time; it can take a personal event or a holiday to reveal their true character sometimes. If you’re in for the long haul with a partner, the myth that opposites attract can only go so far. Dr Gonzaga believes that for a relationship to stand the test of time, sharing core values and personality traits are vital.

Appreciating that a relationship will change and evolve over time is another way of making a long-term partnership work. You never know what life is going to throw at you next; couples who continue to communicate with each other effectively and make time for each other will find that they naturally become more alike over the years and grow closer over time.

Research also shows that successful couples react positively and enthusiastically to each other’s achievements. Being optimistic and supportive is important in every relationship and celebrating your partner’s positive events can help the overall health of the relationship as well as being supportive in the bad times as well.

With eHarmony, there is a real focus on spending time deciding what is important in your life and what you want from a partner. It then matches your hopes and aspirations to someone else’s, so that finding that long-term relationship and making it last is really attainable.

If you’re curious to find out who your matches are then why not register at eHarmony and check your matches for free? By completing the relationship questionnaire you will receive a free personality profile. Just be yourself, answer the questions honestly and the person you’ve been waiting for could be just around the corner!