Don’t you ever envy celebs who look immensely blissful and happy in relationships? When we glimpse through photos of celeb couples, we sometimes wonder whether we would ever get that kind of happily ever after.
Despite some ups and downs, some celebrities have managed to hold on to strong partnerships and we’ve dug around to find out how they’ve done it. Here are some of their secrets for a successful relationship that we can follow when it comes to our own personal lives:
1. Don’t try to fix your partner
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner – The actress who has been with Affleck since year 2004 said, “My mom gave me a good piece of advice,” Garner noted. “She said never marry a man thinking you can change him, and I think that starts from your first date when you’re in the seventh grade onwards. Women are fixers so we have to just not fix. Don’t fix.”
2. Appreciate your alone time
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon – The couple has been together since 2008 and they have instituted an all-out ban on electronic devices during romantic soirées so that they don’t pose as a distraction when they are enjoying each other’s company. They also renew their vows yearly too!
3. Put your loved ones above all else
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – In an interview in 2009, Brad Pitt shares with us about how they keep their relationship going strong six kids later. He said, “Do you know how you tell real love? It’s when someone else’s interest trumps your own.” “I like to put it that way: trumps your own. Love of somebody else – of family, of your kids – becomes the most important, most worthwhile thing in your life. It’s what you foster and protect.”
4. Pay attention to and understand what they need
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum – Channing Tatum may just be the sweetest man alive when it comes to his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum, who just gave birth to their first born. The charming star believes that you should always pay attention to your partner and understand what truly makes them happy. “I like drawing little faces and writing little stories and hiding them in places,” he said.
5. Love yourself before loving someone else
Beyonce and Jay-Z – The curvaceous vocal powerhouse believes wholeheartedly that you need to love yourself before you can extend that love to someone else. She said, “I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, and be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else.”
6. Be there for each other
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith – After being married for 16 years, WIll and Jada seem to be keeping things drama-free at home. The beautiful Pinkett-Smith mentioned, “You need understanding, acceptance, and compassion and usually you get understanding through friendship, so you need to have that.” She also said that her family always comes first and that “being there for each other and being present with our kids is the most important thing.”
7. Communicate your expectations
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux – Although she’s only been with Justin for two years, we all can see that she hasn’t been this happy in a very long time. Back in 2009, she said that “laziness” is the cause of failed relationships. She also said, “I think you just need to talk to each other. Say what you need. Say what you want. That way it’s not threatening. You just need to say, ‘This is important to me.’ Don’t expect your mate to read your mind.”
8. Have a life separate from each other
David Beckham and Victoria Beckham – Married for 14 years, David and Victoria have certainly beaten the odds with their successful careers and four children to raise. According to Victoria, it is the professional commitments apart that has helped their relationship stay strong. “Maybe that’s why we’re not bored with each other,” Victoria mentioned about the distance the both of them sometimes have to face.
9. Prioritize your relationship
Bill and Juliana Rancic – The secret to their marriage is fairly simple: they have learned to make their relationship a top priority despite having a baby boy via a surrogate. The reality star said, “We’re husband and wife, but we’re also best friends, and it’s funny because a lot of people, when they have kids, they put the baby first, and the marriage second.” “That works for some people. For us, I find, we put our marriage first and our child second, because the best thing we can do for him is have a strong marriage.”
10. Support your partner
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill – After being married for 17 years, you’re bound to be pressured by divorce rumors but this couple still has their relationship going steady. Tim McGraw said, “Be your spouse’s biggest cheerleader, ‘fess up to mistakes and don’t jump to the divorce place.”
