Your Relationship is Not a Quote

Every day social media bombards us with relationship quotes. In fact, I read the following quotes on my facebook newsfeed in the first 60 seconds I was scrolling.

“A person that truly loves you will never let you go, no matter how hard the situation is.”

“When being in a relationship hurts you- leave. Don’t stay and keep drowning, because love isn’t supposed to be painful.”

“When someone wants to be with you, they’ll be with you. Period. There won’t be any excuses or uncertainty.”

“A trusting relationship leaves ample room for uncertainty and plentiful time for corrections. Without it, there is no growth and no expansion.”

As you read those four quotes I’m sure one of them made you go, “Exactly!” and because of that maybe you didn’t even notice the fact that each of these quotes completely contradicted each other. And that’s the reality of social media quotes. We can and will identify with anything that we choose to identify with in that moment. These “magical quotes” are only as “magical” as we want them to be. And basing any big life decision (relationship wise or not) based off some quote you read on social media is asinine. Because friends, your life and your relationships are NOT quotes. This is your real life and you need to treat it as such.

I’m only going to focus on the relationship part of this right now, because this is the most common thread I’m seeing on facebook currently.

Long term relationships are learning experiences. You can’t choose to stay or leave based on what someone posted on social media. They are not love experts, they do not know your personal situation, and it’s insane to let a sentence you read online determine your major life choices.

Love is not black and white and no relationship is the same as another. The truth I’ve come to know and appreciate is that a lasting relationship is comprised of two people who want it to work and put forth the effort. Period. No relationship will always be 100% certain all the time, always a happy, anxiety free space, always perfect, wonderful and romantic. No, that’s not reality. Sometimes relationships will be on the down side of things, painful, full of frustrations, uncertainties and anxieties. That’s how life works, and only you personally can decide if the ups outweigh the downs, if the uncertainties are critical or bearable, if the damage is temporary or permanent and if you want to stick around or go solo.

We have to stop relying on everyone else’s input and influence to determine our futures. It’s not healthy. We have to take responsibility for our own decisions. We have to make those decisions based on what we know or believe is best for us- not what a social media post tells us is best for us.

Your relationship is not a quote, friends. CHOOSE the future you want- not the future social media says you should have.

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