1: She wants to be able to be strong without you being threatened.

There are many strong, confident women in the world who take on leadership roles at work and other areas of their life, but subsequently feel that this intimidates men who immediately shy away from them.

We need to understand that being with a strong woman does not emasculate us. If anything, it gives us a teammate in life who we can face challenges alongside as an equal teammate. She wants you to accept, embrace, and love this integral part of her identity.

2: She wants to feel safe being vulnerable with you.

No matter how strong or powerful someone is — man or woman — none of us are bulletproof. We all could use a little taking care of sometimes, and feeling safe around a man is one of the most important gifts we can give to a woman. Not just physically safe — but emotionally safe. Able to open up and show her feelings, uncensored.

If she can’t do this, nothing else will matter.

3: She wants your time, not your gifts.

Sure, women appreciate gifts and nice things, but they also understand that they are no substitute for your loyalty, love, respect, and time. Those are the things she really wants.

4: She wants you to be consistent.

I have heard too many stories about men who are Prince Charming for the first month or two of the relationship until there is a commitment, and then they turn into a completely different person. [Hint: They did not actually change, they just finally stopped putting up a facade].

Romance and courtship should not be reserved for the ‘honeymoon phase’ of a relationship. They should not fade over time, but increase as she becomes a bigger and more important part of your life.

5: She wants to be respected as your equal.

Because she should be, because she is.

6: She wants you to make her laugh.

When it comes to keeping a woman’s attention: Manners are important, good looks are a bonus, but humor is a must. Having a great sense of humor is not only important for enjoying each other’s company, but also helping to cope with challenges and keep moods light. Just make sure you don’t make jokes when inappropriate.

7: She wants to be trusted.

Sure, everyone has to earn trust — but if she hasn’t done anything to make you suspicious and you are that way towards her, it will make her feel undervalued and even begin to wonder if you may be hiding something that you are projecting onto her.

8: She wants to be able to trust you.

And she will, over time, as long as you don’t give her a reason not to. In fact, you both have to trust each other for the relationship to have any hope at working. This is one of the very basic building blocks.

9: She wants to feel desired.

It’s not just a matter of calling her beautiful. It is a matter of making her feel beautiful. To feel sexy. To feel desired — not just from what you say, but by what you don’t say. The way you touch her, the way you look at her, the way you subtly rest your hand on the small of her back when introducing her to someone or when you lay your hand on her knee when you’re driving. The small things that make her feel close to you both physically and emotionally. That connection will go farther than compliments ever will.

10: She wants to be able to count on you.

A step beyond trust — she wants you to be reliable. Possibly not the sexiest trait for a man to have, but still one of the most important. If a woman is committing herself to you, she has to know that you will be there for her during both the good times and the bad. During the stormy days just as much as the sunny days. Because being there for someone when it’s most difficult, is really all that a relationship is.

11: Sometimes, she just wants you to listen.

When a woman tells you about her problems, it doesn’t mean that she’s complaining or that she’s looking for a solution from you. It just means that she trusts you enough to open up and vent to you. We as men naturally try to offer suggestions to help or find a solution for her. Stop — she just wants you to give her the support she needs to find the solution herself.

12: She wants more than five minutes of foreplay.

Intimacy is about building a deeper sense of connection with each other, and it doesn’t happen without proper (mutual) effort.

13: She wants to communicate *with* you.

There is a big difference between talking at a woman and talking with a woman. There is also a big difference between hearing her and really listening to her.

Active communication is essential to the success of any relationship, because nobody is a mind-reader, and we need to be able to open up to each other in order to express concerns, hopes, likes, dislikes, and our appreciation for each other.

14: She wants you to be honest.

Honest about what you want from the relationship. Honest about who you are. Honest about your intentions — from the very beginning. Much more fulfilling relationships will come to you if you are just straight up about what it is that you do or don’t want.

15: She wants you to accept her as she is.

We all have things we want to improve about ourselves. We all have our own insecurities — but when it comes to the person we love, we don’t pick and choose the parts of them we do or don’t like. We pledge to accept them as a whole and support them while they work on those things they want to improve.

She wants you to love and accept her as she is while you support her as she grows into the woman she wants to be.

Because after all, when you truly love someone, everything about them automatically becomes beautiful.