He wanted to be with me despite knowing that I wouldn’t be able to give him much time with the kind of goals I had.

And I knew he was the perfect one for me.

Over all these years of conditioning, we have come to idealise love in a particular way. One that is a cure to all our life’s problems and one that is an ultimate solution to our life struggles.

And because we idealise love, we fail to see so many other aspects of it. The one where it acts as your support system, the one where it motivates you to follow your ambitions and career goals.

I have witnessed many relationships which ended on a bitter note because maybe one of the partners was too ambitious or the other was not supportive enough to let their partner pursue their goals.

When we start believing that ‘all we need is love’ and ‘love is enough’, we tend to ignore the fundamental values in a relationship, like respect and commitment.

A healthy relationship requires more than just emotions and passion. It requires you to understand that there are other important things in life than just being in love. And a partner who understands this, is undoubtedly the best.

It’s natural to want a romantic partner, but how about having one who supports your ambitions, goals and dreams? 

Being in a relationship for four years now, I feel proud of having a partner who not only made all efforts to push me out of my comfort zone but also praised and admired me constantly when I wanted to try new things in life.

The one who was equally excited as me as I embarked upon a new journey. Trust me, having such a person makes our challenges seem petty and enhances our enthusiasm.

You won’t always find a partner whose ambitions and goals align with yours. Here lies the key to a successful relationship.

Relationships do call for sacrifices at times. But when it goes to sacrificing one’s self respect and career, the same love can become problematic.

Even for couples who are committed to equality, it takes two exceptional people to navigate tricky waters when it comes to supporting each other’s career goals.

Couples who understand this, only grow.

When me and my partner moved to different cities, it was important for me to find out if he could handle me chasing my career goals and not freak out about the distance.

Being with someone who loves you is great and beautiful, but this is not enough. For a relationship to work and last long, you need to be with someone who respects your ambitions and career goals.