Unlike fairy tales, love stories in real life can be more complicated and most of the time, can lead to tragic and heartbreaking endings. What is more hurtful is the fact that couples don’t live happily ever after not because of the absence of love but because of the odds that make it seemingly impossible to have faith in a happy ending.
For instance, have you ever felt like everyone and everything is against you and your love story? Have you ever cried helplessly, knowing that no matter how much you love each other, it will never work out? Have you convinced yourself that no matter hard you both try, reality will be there to shatter your dreams every time you try?
If you’re on the brink of giving up, let this article inspire you to hope and try once more. Here are some tips on how to make a relationship work against all odds.
1. Accept the reality that is presented to you.
The first step is to know where you are and ask the right questions. Accept the things that you cannot change and know the options available to you. It’s extremely important to be realistic about this because delusions won’t get you anywhere.
What are you fighting for? Do you have the resources, physical, emotional and even financial to survive until the end? Are you ready to finally go out there and declare your resistance against the odds that are trying to keep you apart?
ALSO READ: 10 Signs Your Relationship is Worth Fighting For
2. Don’t listen to others who don’t know your story.
Never take advice from the people who don’t really know what’s going on. It’s important to look at things from another person’s perspective but it’s also necessary to seek wisdom from someone who have actually had a first-hand experience in these matters.
3. Remember to choose your battles.
Not all battles have to be fought – and some don’t have to be won to get what you really want. In other words, you have to conserve your physical and emotional energy and carefully assess every challenge that you face.
Again, ask the right questions: is it worth it? What will be the consequences of your actions? Are you doing this for the both of you or are you just trying to prove something?
4. Remind yourself why you’re doing this.
It’s about fighting for your love and your relationship. The world may be against you but it’s important that deep within yourself, you know why you’re ready to fight with everything you have just to make it work.
5. Always draw strength from each other.
Be strong for each other but it doesn’t mean that you’re not allowed to cry and feel weak. You’re only human and trying to fight for your relationship can be both emotionally and physically exhausting.
Take turns in being strong and let your significant other feel that they are never alone in this journey. Take comfort in the fact that at the end of the day, someone is there to hold your hand and love you no matter what.
6. Don’t go looking for a faulty remedy.
Don’t try to find a temporary escape, a faulty remedy that can make things worse. The worst stages of a relationship can lead some people to easily give in to temptations and regret them afterwards.
These detours, these remedies won’t save your relationship and even if it can temporarily make you feel better, the consequences will forever haunt you.
7. Let your love be your refuge and your source of hope.
Love is the most powerful thing in the world and many people have found hope and refuge in this pure and genuine home. With love, you’re invincible and you can survive anything that life throws at you.
8. Learn how to trust others without being vulnerable.
Be careful who you let in your life and in your story. Trusting the wrong people can destroy all your hard work. It’s the same thing when trying to fight for your relationship. Trust yourself first before trusting others. Know your allies – and know your enemies.
9. Remind yourself that you deserve to be happy.
You deserve all the good things in life and that includes being happy with the person you love. Remind yourself of this every day and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
This is your chance to find true happiness and true love. It may not be easy but it’s always worth it in the end.
ALSO READ: 18 Inspiring Tips to be Happy in a Relationship
10. Don’t let doubts poison your thoughts.
Doubt, as an opposite of hope, poisons the thoughts and can lead to more serious problems. It’s like destroying your relationship from the inside and it’s the worst kind of destruction.
Stop hurting each other by entertaining unhealthy and often unnecessary arguments. Your partner is not the enemy here. Fight for the person you love; don’t fight against them. Don’t forget the whole point of all of these.
ALSO READ: 11 Ways to Overcome Insecurities in a Relationship
11. Don’t feel bad about being selfish sometimes.
It’s okay to be selfish sometimes. In this context, it means that you are loving yourself first, taking care of yourself (and your relationship) first instead of just watching other people destroy the most beautiful thing that happened to your life.
You have every right to let others down, to disagree and to refuse to let them control your life – but make sure you’re mature enough to understand and accept the consequences of your actions.
12. Take care of each other and never let go.
You’ve been through a lot together and you’re still here, living and loving without regrets. Don’t waste this chance and love each other through thick and thin, in sickness and in healthy.
Both of you have been hurt and have experienced many ups and downs together. Remember the lessons of this journey and whenever you feel like giving up, go back to the first step and try again.