Love is hard. It’s difficult to find, even more, difficult to maintain, and all too easy to lose or break. But love is also worth it. Love helps us grow and change and ultimately become better people for ourselves and each other. But if love is so hard, why does it have to be so hard? Why can’t it be easier? How can we make love less about struggle and more about joy?
The idea of love being portrayed as a team sport isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem on the surface. In fact, if you think about it, there are a few parallels between love and other types of teamwork. Just as a sports team has to make sure they have the right people playing in the right positions, teams in love have to be able to effectively play off each other to reach their goals together – which are ultimately much greater than what either individual can achieve alone. Here are three reasons why love really is just like any other type of team sport out there in the world today.
Love can bring out the best in people. When we’re in love, we want to do everything we can to make our partners happy and show them how much they mean to us. In fact, some couples are willing to do everything in their power to support their significant other in reaching goals they have set, whether it’s taking time off work to help take care of a sick parent or attending every single class with them when they start college again after taking some time off.
Lovers support each other
If you’re in love, then you’ve likely felt how it can make you stronger. The things that may have seemed daunting before suddenly become doable. You’re willing to try new experiences and grow as an individual when your lover is in your life. Whether you face roadblocks in business or school, or whether one of you struggles with an illness or addiction, having someone who unconditionally supports your journey can be invaluable—that person is not just your lover but also your teammate. We’ve all heard how love should be blind, but it’s also deaf. When you really love someone, they don’t exist in isolation: They have goals and fears and dreams of their own. Asking your partner to give up their aspirations isn’t just misguided it’s impossible. In order to ensure that your relationship will be more than a fling, both of you need to support each other in pursuit of success at work and in life.
Lovers have complementary strengths
Every great team needs strengths from everyone on board. The same goes for relationships. In fact, if you’re not trying to fill in gaps by helping your partner be their best self, that probably means you aren’t as invested in your relationship as you should be. The key to achieving lifelong success with someone isn’t about how we try to make our other half happy—it’s about finding happiness together. Remember: Every player has weaknesses and every couple has challenges. What matters most is how well each partner takes on their individual role to bring something positive to their team and overcome challenges together. It doesn’t mean playing down your flaws or shying away from problems; it means working together to challenge yourselves so you can grow stronger as individuals and a couple, too.
Love takes teamwork
So much work goes into making relationships work. If you think love should be effortless, it’s time to change your mindset. Relationships take hard work, great communication and more patience than any of us want to admit. If you want things to work out, both parties must contribute and that can only happen if you’re both committed to teaming up. Love is not a one-man job! When we first fall in love, it can feel like we’re on an exciting journey by ourselves. The reality, however, is that true love takes work—and teamwork. When partners are on separate pages, things get confusing and hard to navigate quickly. Working together gives couples a common language for communication and makes your world more stable. It will also give you both something to focus on outside of work and family life that can be just as consuming! Research has shown that couples who keep their romance alive report higher levels of happiness as well as reduced stress levels.