"Stop mistaking relationship potential for relationship reality Even nine years into her relationship, Ariana Madix admitted she was holding on to 'the potential and the okay, if we can make it through this time' rather than evaluating what was actually in front of her. She reflected: 'I was obsessed with the potential — 9 years in, if you're still fantasizing about what a relationship could be, that's worth examining.' The highs were real enough that during low stretches she would rationalize staying, telling herself every long-term relationship has hard seasons. Distinguishing between a temporarily difficult phase and a structurally mismatched relationship requires asking whether you are happy with the relationship as it is today, not as it might someday become. Source: Ariana Madix, Call Her Daddy, Ariana Madix"