Whilst it’s true that relationships involve compromise, boundaries also play their part when it comes to creating a healthy balance. There’s a big difference between compromising to ensure things are fair, and sacrificing the things that really matter to you. Relationships should never be one-sided. To be a success, both partners have to make the commitment to respect one another’s needs and happiness.
With this in mind, we’re taking a look at five things you should never sacrifice for a relationship.
Your personality.
Your partner should love and appreciate you for who you are. A solid relationship means enjoying one another’s personality and growing and adapting together. If you’re having to pretend to be someone you’re not, then your relationship is built on rocky foundations from the get go.
You’ll start to feel like you’re not good enough if you’re constantly keeping up pretenses. Maintaining the facade isn’t easy, and doing so will eventually cause major cracks in your relationship as you struggle to keep up.
Your beliefs.
You should never sacrifice your beliefs for the sake of a relationship. For many people, their beliefs influence how they live their life, what they stand for and the things they do.
You have the right to your own spiritual, political, and other beliefs, along with the freedom to express them. If your partner is trying to stop you from doing that, they shouldn’t be. Not only is it disrespectful, it’s also a clear demonstration of incompatibility.
Your dreams and hopes for the future.
Of course, there may be situations where you need to compromise, but if that’s happening to the point where you no longer recognise the path you’re on, or you’re not enjoying the way your life is headed, then that’s a red flag. A healthy relationship should be able to withstand individual hopes and dreams, and be full of support for them.
Your other relationships.
If you find that your partner is trying to isolate you from the other relationships you have in your life, that’s not acceptable. It’s important for you to have relationships with friends and family, and it can be unhealthy if your partner is the only significant person in your life.
In fact, if your partner is forcing you to sacrifice your other relationships, it could be a sign of narcissistic behaviour. We’ve talked a lot about this in one of our previous blogs. If you have concerns about the nature of your relationship, take a look to see if anything is resonating.
Your freedom.
Just as you should have the freedom to have your own beliefs, relationships with friends and family and your own individual hopes, you should also have the freedom to go out as and when you want.
Again, this all comes back to compromise. But if you’re constantly being prevented from, or being made to feel bad for, going out socially, to work or somewhere else, it’s a cause for concern.
Your happiness.
At the end of the day, your relationships should be making you happy. If you’re finding that you’re unhappy in your relationship, or worse, you’re sacrificing your happiness to make your partner happy, then chances are you’re not with the right person.
The relationships in your life should build you up and support you, not tear you down or hold you back.
If you’re experiencing any of the issues we’ve discussed in this blog, stop and ask yourself if you’re sacrificing too much, and whether you’re really happy.
Depending on the answers, it might be time to consider stepping away from the relationship. And if that’s what you decide, and you need some expert legal advice, Harrogate Family Law can help with that. Just get in touch with us today to find out more about our services.
