Do you feel like your relationship helps you become the best version of yourself? Like Michelangelo's hand creating beauty from stone, close partners "shape each other, influencing each other's abilities and traits and promoting or hindering the realization of their goals." This process is known as the "Michelangelo" phenomenon.
In such relationships, partners help each other develop through support and positive affirmations, bringing them closer to their ideal version. If you're wondering if your partner is influencing your personal growth, here are two key signs that indicate it:
1. Feel supported every step of the way
One of the clearest indicators of the "Michelangelo" phenomenon is a partner who sincerely and deeply supports your goals and dreams, wanting you to flourish in every aspect.
Supportive relationships significantly influence personal growth. They provide emotional security, reduce anxiety and strengthen self-confidence, increasing confidence in personal abilities. This helps individuals face new challenges and not give up on their goals.
A confidant who provides emotional shelter - encourages people to step out of their comfort zone, embrace personal growth and overcome obstacles more easily. Even a simple reminder of a supportive partner can be deeply motivating.
Individuals who remember their supportive partner are more likely to choose jobs that favor personal growth rather than those that offer higher wages. This self-confidence that is created by a supportive relationship greatly influences our decisions and aspirations.
In a relationship characterized by the "Michelangelo" phenomenon, the support and respect of your partner is a transformative force that reflects the best of you. When your partner celebrates your strengths and accomplishments, it helps you embrace these positive aspects of yourself.
"Marriage to my wife is shaping me as a person and as an individual that I am becoming. She is helping me realize my dreams, ambitions and goals; it's giving me a deeper understanding of love,” says Dave, a participant in a 2015 study on the impact of marriage on personal identity.
Basically, a partner who sees the best in you and supports you unconditionally is an irreplaceable gift.
2. Feel closer to your ideal version
Another powerful sign of the "Michelangelo" phenomenon is the feeling that you are getting closer to your ideal version. In some cases, people report feeling "more themselves" in the relationship than before.
Being closer to our ideal version improves our well-being. This journey may involve leaving behind old insecurities, gaining new perspectives, and embracing qualities or ambitions you hadn't previously explored.
Relationships based on the "Michelangelo" phenomenon do not create new personalities, but reveal the fullest and richest dimensions of who we are and what we aspire to become.
If your relationship provides unwavering support and helps you feel like the best version of yourself, consider it a blessing. Take it as an invitation to continue exploring your potential and foster the same growth in your partner—becoming the best versions of yourselves, together.
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