Are you really a good partner if you don’t support your partner when it comes to their passions? It won’t be long before a random guy swoops in to take your place if you don’t be the supportive man your girlfriend expects and needs you to be.
I have seen majority of men being afraid of having a girlfriend who is confident, passionate and ambitious; just another example of the several patriarchal ideologies that have polluted the minds of many. What these men don’t seem to comprehend is how inspiring these women can be for them. Women deal with several challenges to transform their dream into a reality like having a hectic business schedule on top of their middle of night baby duties and the responsibility of maintaining a healthy environment at home for your family. It’s a never-ending struggle but struggling together makes things so much easier, at least they did for me.

My experience with relationships was never great before I met my current girlfriend. I had always been very selective about my partner. It may sound conservative, but I didn’t want a partner who would post her pictures wearing a bikini or too many selfies on Instagram. I was looking for someone I could take on long road trips or bring back home to my mom. But this is not what guys want; they look for the kind of women they can only spend the night with. I was struggling to find someone attractive my age that would enjoy and appreciate the simple beauties of life, which is why I had been single until I was 34.

Not to sound cliché, but my perspective was turned upside down when I met my girlfriend. I grew to become a person with a drastically different point of view. I never imagined myself to have a girlfriend who would start her own Kickstarter campaign, initiate a business startup and actually have a large fan base on social media. But over the course of our relationship I have learned to be her biggest fan. But every relationship is a two-way street, you should support the passions of your partner and she should support yours; I don’t see another way any courtship could make through the obstacles that life throws at you.

Make sure you support your loved ones through the pivotal times in their life and careers to the best of your abilities and encourage each other to mature for the better, then maybe you can get lucky enough to be able to spend your life with an amazing human.

It was really an eye-opener when I talked to my girlfriend about her past relationships. Men who had come before me had pretended to be interested in her goals and motives, they faked being encouraging and supportive while they were trying to impress her but once things started to move along, their selfishness was apparent; they would snub her from talking about the work she was doing which made her guilty for pursuing her dreams altogether. She thought her relationship would move along a lot easier only if she wasn’t working. What I took away from those conversations was that adopting such a behavior towards your partner makes them eventually fall out of love, it makes them feel caged and bounded by the iron bars they call love. The disappointment will drive your partner away and they will crave support and encouragement elsewhere.

Learn that your appreciation, love, admiration and communication should not be a one-time thing. Your support should be prevalent throughout your relationship and only then will the saying love prevails all will stand true to you.