If Your Relationship Has Survived These 9 Challenges, You'll Make It Through
Relationships can make life easier in many ways (finally, someone to split the rent with! Someone to buy Halo Top so that it technically "wasn't you"). But they also may come with challenges, and if you've been in a relationship, you've probably experienced some of these. Maybe you've been with your partner for a while, and it's had its ups and downs. You might not always be 100 percent positive that your relationship is built to last, but if your relationship has survived challenges before, it can survive them again.
Relationships are an adventure. Like any hike I've ever been on, you don't really know if you're at the top until you're there (to be fair, I'm notoriously bad at planning hikes). Once, I prematurely ended a relationship because he was going to move further away (a mountain with a high peak, just to extend this metaphor), and I anticipated ahead of time that it wouldn't work out. In retrospect, I might have been right, but I also might have been trying to predict the future, which is impossible. The only thing you know for sure is the past and the present. Fortunately, history can be an indicator for what's to come (although it's not always), so if you and your partner have overcome difficulties in the past, you can again in the future. That's not to say that just because you haven't gone through difficult times, you won't be able to — every relationship is different. Still, persevering through tough times should give you some confidence you'll be able to again in the future.
If you've survived the following nine relationship challenges, you'll be able to get past anything.
01Going The Distance
Have you and your partner stayed together even though you lived in different cities? If you've been able to show them love via the phone, Skype, and FaceTime, you'll be able to really go the distance.
02The Loss Of A Loved One
If you've mourned the loss of a loved one together, or your partner has, and the two of you have been there for each other, you might feel like you can overcome anything.
03Moving In Together
Moving anywhere can be stressful. And moving in with a partner might compound the challenges of moving with the challenges of sharing your life with someone. So, if you've succeeded in making the move, you're up for a challenge.
04Career Upheaval
Careers are tricky — sometimes, you might have to switch jobs to find something better or your original job just might not work out. This could put pressure on a relationship, but if your partnership has survived it, you're ready to take on the world.
05Money Problems
Have you or your partner ever struggled financially? Has this impacted one, but not both of you? Sometimes, when one person is living comfortably but the other is stressed about money, the relationship can become strained (for either or both partners. But making it through this challenge is a sign that you're in good shape.
Of course, money isn't equated with happiness, and you can find joy even when your bank balance is low, but money anxiety is real, and working through this stress with a partner can strengthen your relationship.
06Problems With Friends
Maybe your friends don't like your partner. Maybe your partners friends don't get along perfectly with you. Your friends' opinions matter, of course, but if you can work things out with your friends and your partner, you'll be able to navigate other tricky social situations in the future.
07Unexpected Illness
Illness can happen to anyone at any time. Maybe something has happened to you or your partner, and the other needs to take on a bigger responsibility in the relationship or home. Once you've made it work in sickness, you know you could be able to make it work in health (or more sickness).
08Jealousy
Has your partner's ex lingered? Does your partner have a cute new coworker they seem to be fixated on? This isn't necessarily a bad thing — people can be friends with their exes and coworkers however they may choose. But you might experience feelings of jealous, which are totally normal. If you and your partner can talk through your jealousy and figure out a way to keep the relationship stable, that's a great sign that you'll survive anything.
09Decisions About The Future
Have you and your partner worked through talks about what's to come in the future, perhaps discussing topics like if you want kids (FYI: you don't need kids to start a family or a partner to have kids) or where you'd like to live? Conversations about the future can be tough and can require a deeper level of commitment. If you and your partner have worked through these talks and see eye to eye about the future, you're in a great position to take on other challenges as they arise.
Relationships come with challenges of all shapes and sizes. There's no way to predict the future, but overcoming challenges in the past can be a sign that your relationship is strong and can make it through anything. So, if you've found yourself relating to any of these items, congratulations! Your future looks bright. And even if you haven't, your relationship can still be super strong — you don't need to overcome hardship to fall in love. Adversity only brings forth gratitude when things are smooth sailing.
