The Best Mottos To Keep In Mind For Your Relationship

You may think of a motto being something that a business has or maybe even something that a person adapts for their own life, but it's also something you can use for your relationship. A motto is not necessarily something many people may consider a focal point for their relationship. However, when you consider the definition of motto as a short sentence or phrase that encapsulates the ideals that guide you, keeping one in mind seems like an excellent idea. Listed below are some of the best mottos that you can keep in mind to help your relationship succeed.

What is a motto?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a motto as "a short expression of a guiding principle." A motto is basically a belief that you have that can shape your perspective on life. A motto that most people are familiar with comes from the popular Disney film The Lion King. Timon and Pumbaa's characters use the motto "Hakuna Matata," which they explain means "no worries."

For a motto to work, the words must carry significant meaning in your life.

How a motto can impact your relationship

Having a motto for your relationship can help steer it in the right direction. It can remind you of what you need to do to have a successful relationship and who you need to be. It can help you and your partner to make goals and create strategies together. A motto can also direct you to take a different action than what you naturally would. The following phrases may help you develop a motto for your relationship that encapsulates a focal belief that defines your vision for interpersonal connectivity. 

Best mottos for your relationship

Read and learn about some of the most favorite relationship mottos.

Love is not something you feel. It’s something you do.

Thankfully for most of us in the world, the days of arranged marriages are in the past. We generally decide who we want to be in a relationship with based on who we have feelings of love for.

However, when you are in a long-term relationship, the success of it depends on your ability to understand that love is not just a feeling. Love is a choice that you can make every single day in your relationship.

If you allow your relationship to be controlled by feelings, it will be unpredictable at best. Feelings can be fickle, and they are not always true.

In an article on Psych Central called Why Love is a Choice You Make Every Day, Hope Gillete writes "Love is a choice and a decision because your actions determine if it lives on or ends. You are in control of how you act in your relationships and how much you push past conflict and challenges.”

When you decide to work on communication, trust, intimacy, or emotional security, you are choosing love. 

And, in essence, this is what we do at the beginning of relationships. We choose to see all the positive things in the other person. Even if our friends and family can see their imperfections, we are blinded to them. It's not because they didn't have them; it's because we were choosing to focus on the good. This can help carry your relationship through for long-term success.

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not

When you want a relationship to work with someone, it's easy to start behaving the way you think they want you to. You may find yourself dressing the way that they like, doing the activity they want you to do, and changing your behavior to be more like they want you to be.

From the outside, it might make it look like you have a very healthy relationship. You may not argue much with your partner, and people may think that you have it made. But inside, you might not feel happy, and you probably feel nothing like yourself.

If you want to build a healthy relationship that allows you to flourish and be yourself, you must be authentic. It's better for someone not to like you and end the relationship with you than for you to be stuck trying to be someone you're not.

Love is like war, easy to begin but hard to end

At first thought, equating love with war comes across as intense and negative. However, it can be just the motivation that you need to succeed in your relationship. When using this motto, we are not talking about separation or break-ups. Instead, we are talking about pushing through the difficult times and battling through the conflict to come out on the positive end. 

Some may say it is easy to fall in love like it happens with no effort at all. Others may confess that they have experienced love at first sight. They saw another person that they were attracted to and that was all it took. Falling in love is one thing, but what happens when the infatuation subsides?

Having a successful long-term relationship takes work. There are going to be times when you simply do not along with your partner. Other times you will miscommunicate about important topics with each other and it leads to arguments. There are also going to be times when you are frustrated in your relationship.

This doesn't mean that love is gone, not that your relationship needs to end. Remember, love is a choice, and even in difficult times, you can choose to work together and work through the hard times to a brighter side.

Teamwork makes the dream work

You may have heard this motto when it comes to teamwork in business, but it is also a great motto for relationships. If you want to keep your relationship growing strong, you must be willing to work as a team.

When only one partner is putting effort into the relationship, it will not be long before the other begins to grow frustrated and resent the other person. Lack of teamwork in extreme situations can indicate mental health issues such as narcissistic personality disorder. While this isn't a conclusion that you want to jump to, especially without a professional diagnosis, if you are the only person making an effort in the relationship, it's a sign that there's a problem. The same is true if you are making no effort and your partner is.

Love goes the extra mile

Being in love with someone means you are willing to go the extra mile for them. What this looks like is really going to depend on the exact situation that you're in. But when you really love someone, you don't want to do the bare minimum you feel is required.

You may look for ways to please them or things you can do to make their life easier. Or, if there's nothing that you can do in a situation, you make sure that you show them that you're there for them. Love doesn't worry about convenience and comfort.

If you keep this motto in your mind for a year relationship, it will help keep you motivated to go above and beyond for your partner.

Everyone struggles from time to time

We live in a society that focuses on always putting ourselves in a good light. Social media is full of filters to help us look our best. We take dozens of different selfies, trying to get just the perfect picture. This can make us uncomfortable with things that don't seem perfect.

Relationships often go through times of struggle. And, when we are worried about trying to make everything look right, we can cover up the fact that our relationship is having problems. Because so many people are doing this, it makes it feel like you're the only one going through a difficult time in your relationship. But challenges are just part of any normal and healthy relationship. There will be trials that you'll have to overcome in life with your partner.

If you can remind yourself that everyone struggles from time to time, it will help you feel like you're not alone.

Word of warning: While every relationship struggles from time to time, you must understand what those struggles look like. Abuse is not a struggle that healthy relationships have. If you are in an abusive relationship, you need to get yourself into a healthy place before deciding how you want to move forward. There could be a possibility for you to work things out, but it might involve you leaving the relationship for a time to keep yourself physically and mentally safe.

If you or a loved one is experiencing abuse, contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Support is available 24/7.

Need a little help?

Do you like the idea of using a motto but feel like your relationship needs a lot more than a simple phrase to help you out? Couples counseling could be the solution. Life is busy, and trying to coordinate both of your schedules to attend in-person sessions can keep couples from getting the help they need due to inconvenience and inaccessibility. If you and your partner find it difficult to meet with a professional in person, consider online therapy. As opposed to attending therapy in an office, with online therapy you have the ability to share therapy with your partner in the comfort of your own home. Additionally, studies have shown that online couples therapy can have a profound and positive impact on those who are experiencing relationship distress. A licensed therapist with Regain can help you and your partner work through the challenges you face and come out stronger on the other side. Through learning the right strategies, including changing your thinking, a therapist can help you learn healthier ways to handle struggles and help set you up for relationship success.

Takeaway 

A healthy relationship does not simply happen without effort. There are many obstacles and challenges that happen between two people as time passes in a relationship, and to get through them, it is important to communicate with each other and be available for comfort and strength. If you and your partner continue to work together, finding ways to work through these challenges, your relationship will endure these tests. While mottos assuredly will help, sometimes a couples counselor is the best avenue to keep those lines of communication open.