Life happened this past weekend. We had a family emergency, and thankfully, everything is stable now. We appreciate your patience, since it unexpectedly took us out of commission, and we missed sending Friday's edition. But we're back, and today we're sharing what it's like to show up for each other when life gets hard.
We're talking about what it means to be a power couple, but not in the way you may think.
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Real power couples
Fun fact: the term "power couple" isn't new. It goes back to the 1980s soap operas, when the public became obsessed with a fictional TV couple everyone wanted to be like. But the version we're talking about today isn't fictional, and it's not about how you look from the outside. It's about what's actually happening between you.
The 1980s want their supercouple back, but they can't have it, because it has been redefined. Power couples are no longer superficial soap opera stars or celebrities you see in the news. They are two people in a healthy relationship who work to keep their goals aligned, fuel the partnership, and shine just as bright together as they do on their own.
When you're a true power couple, you're united toward each other's goals, not just your own. Each partner has their own "zone of genius," where they bring something distinct to the relationship, and though their zones aren't the same, they add to it rather than subtract from it. No one is focused just on themselves, because they're genuine in giving to one another, so neither partner runs short.
Here are four ways they continue to champion one another:
1. Cheerleader, not competitor
You're excited to be each other's cheerleader, because you don't see your partner's success as a competition or a threat to your own.
2. Feeding the Friendship
You talk the way old friends do, laughing about the future, dreaming out loud, one thought sparking the next. When you bring your partner a dream, they don't hand you a list of reasons it might not work. Aaron leans in instead. "What's the part you're most excited about?" "What if the way you think it has to happen isn't the only way?" "What if it's bigger than you're even planning for?" Every question he asks is meant to build up. It's never to tear down.
3. Deeds over words
A true life partner rolls up their sleeves when you need it the most, because they want to see you win. Like the week I had three deadlines stacked on top of each other, and Aaron took it upon himself to make dinner, without asking or discussing it. He just handled it.
4. Keeper of wins
Aaron subtly keeps a mental note of all my wins. (As I write this, I realize this is something I can be better at supporting him with.) But when my self-doubt creeps in, he's right there to help me remember who I am, and that inner critic doesn't have a place. His confidence in me helps pull me out. That's the real difference these four things make: the gap between a relationship that supports each other's potential and one that quietly suffocates it.
(FYI, if you want your partner to be better at this, you have to go first.)
And to the new faces here this week, welcome đ, we're so glad you're here.
Ready to go first? Take the quiz and find out where you and your partner already shine, and where there's room to grow.
With care,
đ Jaylene & Aaron, Sync & Thrive
đ If thereâs a dynamic in your relationship youâd like us to explore, send us a note at [email protected]. Many of our best topics start with reader conversations.
đď¸ Most of what we write about lives inside four everyday areas of life together: how we move, connect, fuel, and reset.
