Commitment in relationships
Commitment is an enormous part of any relationship. Through family, friendship, or a romantic relationship, commitment is the driving force that keeps the boat afloat.
Loyalty
In its infancy, commitment starts as having loyalty towards someone or something. You can be committed to many different things in life, such as personal growth, career success, family, and hobbies, but your loyalty is where it all begins. Loyalty involves dedication, and dedication requires time.
Any successful relationship requires your time. It includes giving your undivided attention and critical thinking to one particular person. More specifically, in a romantic relationship with your significant other. Doing so allows the person you’re giving the attention to feel listened to, thought about, and appreciated. Then, once the other person reciprocates those actions, it permits the relationship to flourish under such caring conditions.
Commitment
Gradually, over time, this loyalty turns into commitment. Committing yourself to someone means standing by them through nearly anything. Throughout life, changes will impact your relationship; there’s no doubt about it. Changes will happen to your person, or if you’re married, your spouse. It could come in the form of your spouse losing a parent or relative, which could alter how they feel daily about themselves, you, and what they want out of life. It could be a complete change of careers because maybe your person isn’t satisfied with where they are in the progression of life.
Many factors go into a thriving, long-lasting relationship. But perhaps the most crucial aspect is sticking by your significant other as they evolve throughout life. Throughout our lives, we all evolve. Specifically, we evolve both individually, outside of our relationship, and together, inside of it. Marriage, or a commitment to someone for a substantial amount of time, is one of the most beautiful, precious things in this lifetime. Many of us spend years seeking out that one person we can one-day call husband or wife. But it’s not just finding them that’s important, it’s committing to them.
Yet, every relationship is two-fold in that you must not only be committed to another person but yourself, too. How does your significant other treat you? Commitment doesn’t just involve staying loyal and not cheating. It’s about much, much more than that. When you express your concerns to your spouse, how do they react? Do they jump down your throat and tell you that you always complain? Or, do they attempt to right the ship by taking a few collective breaths, and subsequently addressing your concerns? I hope it’s the latter.
Self-worth
When committing to anything in life, we must ask ourselves when it is worth it. It’s not to say that in a marriage between two people, they should give up on each other because they frequently argue, and it’s not worth it. The couple should seek out every avenue they can to fix the issues they have. Whether it be communicating more effectively, attending counseling, or any other remedy they see fit. If every step is taken and still the same problems persist, then and only then should the relationship and its existence be brought into question.
In nearly every conceivable situation in life, we must recognize our self-worth. Acknowledging what we bring to the table and the impact that we have is crucial to our own mental and physical health. There comes a time in any facet of life when enough is enough. Sometimes, for the sake of not disrupting your own peace, you must make difficult decisions, like not being with your significant other. It may be because the person you’re with refuses to change and, ultimately, never will. Or, it could be because you want separate things out of this life.
If you ever commit yourself to a relationship, I believe you should always be present and wholeheartedly give it your all. You should take every measure to see the relationship through and when you get pushed down, try, and try again. But during that process, don’t ever lose your self-worth.
Don’t let someone think they can remain a close figure in your life without being loyal, putting in the necessary time and effort to continue the relationship as it evolves, and eventually, commit themselves to you. In doing so, you run the risk of settling for someone and not receiving the commitment and love you truly deserve. Love hard and commit, but don’t ever lose yourself.
