Who is Your Relationship Role Model?

3 Simple Ideas to Emulate Them and Build a Love That Lasts

Jan 21, 2025

Ask anyone in a great relationship about their secret, and they’ll often tell you about a couple they admire—a relationship role model they look up to. These role models often share similar values, love and respect each other openly, laugh together, and are equals and best friends.

For some, this couple might be their parents. For others, it might be their grandparents, an aunt and uncle, close friends, or even their neighbors. If you’re not sure who your relationship role model is, here are three tips to help you find and learn from one:

1. Start Close to Home

Look for real-life examples around you. Who demonstrates the kind of love and partnership you admire? Maybe it’s your grandparents who still hold hands after 50 years or friends who always seem to have each other’s backs. Observing couples in your everyday life makes it easier to learn from their actions and apply their positive habits to your own relationship.

2. Learn From the Good and the Bad

If you have great role models, pay attention to what works for them. How do they resolve conflicts, communicate, or show affection? If you’ve experienced less-than-perfect examples, like a challenging divorce in your family, that’s okay too. Reflect on what you’d like to do differently in your own relationship, and let those lessons guide you.

3. Make It Your Own

Your role model’s relationship can inspire you, but it’s important to adapt their lessons to suit your own partnership. For example, maybe you admire how they make time for weekly date nights or the way they build each other up. Find what resonates with you and your partner and incorporate those practices in a way that feels authentic to your connection.

Your Turn: Share Your Role Model

Who do you admire in your life when it comes to relationships?

What qualities stand out to you, and how have they inspired your own approach to love?

If you’re already in a thriving relationship, I’d love to hear about the role models who influenced you and the lessons you’ve taken from them.