6 ways healthy relationships challenge you

Have you guessed that once you find “The One,” the relationship will be easy as pie?

Unfortunately, even healthy relationships still come with their own difficulties that can be a real struggle to overcome.

In some cases, the best relationships even challenge you more than the shallow ones. Here are 6 ways that might happen and why that’s a good thing.

1. They teach you forgiveness
We’re all human, which means we all make mistakes. In a healthy relationship, you will argue with your partner. They’ll do things that upset you sometimes. Forgiveness will have to come into it if you plan on staying together for the long term. And depending on what they’ve done, that can be really difficult to master. It often means you have to swallow your pride and be committed to moving forward.

2. They teach you how to compromise
Compromise is one of the keys to a happy relationship. The best relationships give you the chance to practice your compromising skills over and over again. You’ll learn how to go without something you would have chosen in order to make things better for your partner. Or to keep the peace in your relationship. Compromise is a delicate art because, if you’re not careful, you can end up sacrificing everything. The best relationships will challenge you to compromise while still looking after yourself.

3. They require you to be selfless
At times, the best relationships will require you to be selfless. When your life is intertwined with someone else’s life, there’s no question that you’ll have to put their needs before yours at certain points. That doesn’t mean being a doormat, but remember that the person you’re with has needs and feelings too. Compromise and selflessness are not the same thing, but they do go hand in hand.

4. They also require you to be assertive
As mentioned, being selfless at times in your relationship doesn’t mean being a doormat. So the best relationships will teach you how to take charge and be assertive too. Your partner can’t read your mind, so you’ll have to speak up about how you feel and what you want. You’ll have to call them out when they’re doing things that bother you. A good relationship will challenge you to become better at communicating.

5. They motivate you to be your best
The right partner will want to see you excel. They’ll want you to be the best version of you. So it makes sense that they’ll motivate you to reach your goals and be your absolute best. In this way, the best relationships will challenge you to achieve more personal growth. That won’t always be fun or easy, but it will leave you more fulfilled and accomplished in the long run. Also, remember that there’s a difference between motivating you to be your best and bullying you to reach unrealistic standards.

6. They can demand sacrifice
Good relationships can still demand sacrifice. Ultimately, you are in charge of your own life, including what you give up and what you choose to make a priority. But often, some things will have to be sacrificed in order to make a relationship work. One of the most common is time. Putting time into your relationship means less time to work on other goals or less me-time for you.