Support

Written by: Barah

Support is one of the most important aspects of a successful relationship. If support doesn’t exist between the two, is it truly a good relationship? Would you be okay being in a relationship that lacked the support you need to succeed? Probably not.

In any relationship from romantic to platonic, support is necessary. In reality, being in an unsupportive relationship is actually extremely toxic and unhealthy.

For example: Being told you are not capable of doing it. Being put down instead of pulled up and finding the support to do your best. Being told you cannot and are not allowed to do it and finding them disabling you from doing what you’re great at or aiming to be great at. Finding that they are not the ones that are helping you reach your highest potential; that alone is extremely discouraging and hurtful.

Romantically, imagine your own partner is doing the opposite of empowering you. What if they were causing you to lose confidence in your ability, work, and yourself. How is that in any way a healthy relationship? What would it feel like if the one you’re spending the rest of your life with is unsupportive of your work, your dreams, and what you aspire to be? How do you expect yourself to live a healthy life with them? You will grow to find yourself resenting them. That’s the harsh reality of lacking support from the ones you love. Resentment. It’s the consequence that follows.

Platonically, it can happen through finding those you care for most -family and friends- who don’t support you. It can be through realizing they don’t find a way to recognize the hard work and effort you put into all your work. Or even finding they don’t even appreciate your hard work enough to have any part of it. How do you think that will make you feel? You’ll find yourself questioning your relationship with them. Because if they truly cared, they would support your work in any way possible. Even if it’s as something as small as a message saying “Hey, I saw/listened/read etc. your work and it’s amazing!! Keep it going!!”

Support is necessary and if you feel like your relationship is lacking it, open up to the person. Communicate to them that if they do not support you and want to see you succeed in life, then it’s more than possible that you can do life without them.

Because you need to realize that you come first. Take care of yourself, then others.