The Number One Question To See If A Relationship Is Worth The Work

Seriously — this question has changed my life and brought me clarity and peace in my decisions.

This simple question was brought to my attention by one of my best friends recently, as she is going through a breakup with her partner of 14 years.

They were in a great relationship for many years, it was truly enviable. Every single time we talked, she never really had anything bad to say, they were genuinely happy, secure, and consistent. Like all relationships, they had their little disagreements here and there, but they were so minor that it was almost laughable.

So, when she started to first have her doubts, around a year ago — I was surprised. I mean, she is one of my closest friends, so I wasn’t shockingly surprised, but I definitely wasn’t so sure she would actually go through with it — until we really spent some time talking it out and getting to the nitty-gritty of it all.

The main reason behind her decision was because they were growing apart — she was advancing in her career, growing as a person intellectually, making new friends, and keen to move or travel and he was perfectly content where he was.

Well, he wasn’t content — he was depressed, but he wasn’t willing to do anything about it.

Of course, she loves him, and spent years trying to help, suggested therapy (which he was not open to), and really…