THE RELATIONSHIP FRAMEWORK

It was March 2023 and I was preparing for my upcoming wedding to my long-term partner. I felt excited to get married and begin this new chapter. Suddenly, I was struck by an intense and unfamiliar feeling. The question came seemingly out of nowhere - “Is this relationship right for me?!”

The next several days were extremely painful, overwhelming, and confusing. I began to critically review my relationship and examine my own emotions around it. I realized that I did not want to move forward with the wedding - that something wasn’t right here, and that while I didn’t fully comprehend exactly how I knew, I had an intense conviction that I needed to end this relationship. In a matter of days, I called off the wedding and shortly thereafter, moved out.

Over time, I began to see more clearly exactly why I had this intuitive knowing that the relationship was not right for me. I saw the ways in which my needs were not met, the relationship did not fit the person I had become, and that we were not aligned in what we wanted out of life.

I understand first hand how difficult it is to navigate the fear and overwhelm of questioning a long-term romantic partnership. I also know how important it is to critically examine your relationship. This is true for anyone, but especially if you are feeling the nudge that something isn’t right. Get curious about where that feeling is coming from and what is going on underneath the surface.

I published a podcast episode on the Wild River Podcast about this experience (Episode 39) and created a free workbook to help you explore and examine their relationship. My hope is that these resources will help you develop more awareness, confidence, and self-understanding as you either move forward in your partnership or choose to separate.