by Jannel Thomas, LCMFT

Friday, March 17th, 2023

What role does luck play in relationships? Are some people just luckier than others to find love? The truth is luck plays a small part, if any, in a successful long-lasting relationship. Relationships require hard work in order to last, but why is that the case?

1. Intimacy Changes Over Time – Both emotional and physical intimacy may come easier in the beginning stages of the relationship, yet with time, things get in the way. There are demanding work schedules, kids, social engagements, exercising, pets, and more. Sometimes it can be hard to even make time for ourselves and so intimacy can be an easy area in relationships to neglect. It takes work and being intentional to ensure that both partners make efforts to maintain intimacy within the relationship.

2. Good Communication is Hard! – Communication requires active listening, in addition to being able to express your feelings, needs, and wants. However, stress, assumptions, and unrealistic expectations can get in the way of healthy communication. Luckily, the therapists at RCC are trained and equipped with tools to help couples improve and work on their communication. Couple therapy is a great avenue to practice and learn good communication skills.

3. Obstacles are Unpredictable – What, when, and how obstacles will occur in relationships is unknown. What is known is that they will happen. Therefore,
relationships require conflict resolution skills, problem-solving skills, and trust that the relationship will be able to withstand any obstacle that comes your way. All of these areas require hard work, not luck, for success and high relationship satisfaction.

Luck may have been a factor when you began your relationship, but when it’s all said and done both partners will have to work hard to build a successful, healthy relationship. Putting hard work and effort into your relationship will result in a happy, long-lasting relationship rather than relying only on luck. However, just like with anything worthwhile, the hard work tends to be worth it.