What to do when your #relationshipgoals don’t make it

Oftentimes we put other people’s relationships on a pedestal. We look at couples like Jay-Z and Beyonce or Will and Jada and think, “Now that’s #relationshipgoals” or say “If they don’t make it, there’s no hope for the rest of us!” But the truth is, other relationships should not be your yardstick for your own relationship. Whether it’s your favorite celebrity couple, your friends, or even family members, just know that no one knows what goes on within a relationship but the two people in it. We can all look from the outside looking in and make certain assumptions about someone’s relationship, but the truth is, you’ll never really know.

Brad and Angelina splitting up was the biggest news that week, and not just in entertainment news! If celebrities are together for longer than a year, we assume they’re in it for life, so break ups after 10 years are always a shocker. Even couples you know in real life sometimes look so perfect from the outside looking in. And when they break up, everyone’s shocked.

So what do you do when your #relationshipgoals don’t make it??

Take off the rose-colored glasses. Remember that everyone is human at the end of the day. Every couple has ups and downs, good times and bad. There are some couples where you only see the good times in public, but behind closed doors is a mess. And there are other couples where you see their fights in public, but because they talk it out and don’t hold back, they’re actually pretty amazing behind closed doors.

Pray for them instead of gossiping. It’s so easy to gossip when a couple in your friend group is no longer together. But instead of being the one to spread the news and share all the juicy details, why not pray for them? At the end of the day, you should want them to be happy. Them being happy might be them getting back together later, or it might be them moving on separately, but whatever the case may be, you should just wish them well.

Focus on your own relationship. Just because a couple you really admire and identify with breaks up, doesn’t mean you and your sweet-honey-love-muffin will break up. If you focus on your own relationship instead of constantly comparing yourself to others, maybe that will make your relationship stronger. If anything, seeing someone who is #goals not make it should be a reminder that all relationships are work. It should motivate you to renew your relationship and make it that much better.

Be your own #relationshipgoals by constantly working on improving your relationship.