This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
How much of yourself have you lost?
The closer you are, the more strength it will take not to lose your independence.
It’s not the worst thing in the world to mesh with your partner, but once you start compromising who you are and what you do and don’t do because of your partner [to your detriment], it becomes a problem.
I have experienced this phenomenon, and several others close to me, and likely you at some point.
We tend to maintain more of who we are on the front end of a relationship.
We tend to be less recognizable on the back end of a relationship.
Then once we exit a relationship, we have the opportunity to evolve into a better version of who we used to be before the relationship.
Maybe you changed how you dressed, started traveling less frequently, stopped hanging out with your friends, and the list continues.
Many of us have been there and done that.
The key is to avoid sacrificing parts of ourselves for anyone.
The more true to ourselves we are, the happier our relationships will be and the happier we will be with ourselves, which is what counts most.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.