Matching Hustles
Do you fantasize about being one-part of power couple? What’s the appeal for you? During a conversation with a few married/partnered women they decided to share a bit of knowledge with the younger single folks at the table: There is no such thing as power couple. Some will always take a backseat. If not, things will fall apart. Balance, they insisted, was necessary if you were going to have a healthy, functioning relationship.
The need to redefine the power couple wasn’t necessarily shocking for me. Every power couple I’d ever encountered close-up seemed like they took turns being the center of attention, took turns traveling, and honestly never seemed like they were at the height of their careers simultaneously. But they did seem like they worked, no matter the project or task, just as hard as their partner. That’s when I realized that my image of the perfect couple was more about feeling that my partner and I had a matching work ethic, that we were equally ambitious, and that we had enough going on individually to not be threatened by the other’s hustle.
Here is where it’s gotten tricky as of late. When you’re dating people in your field, the time constraints and things that are expected of you outside of the office are understood. But what happens when you work in completely different arenas? How do you measure hustle? If you work a 10-6 and the person you’re dating works crazy hours freelancing on multiple projects, does your ambition get called into question? Does the idea of ambition really just come down to having a level of respect for the type of work your partner is doing? Or is the idea of hustle not really about hustle at all, but your ability to appear busy when talking to others?
I am not sure what a power couple really is but I often hear it when people refer to Beyonce and Jay-z. Here’s my opinion: I think people have to think about the type of relationship they want and the role they desire to play in it (each person is different). This idea of power couple is not a good look. There are many couples who have the ” perfect-on-paper” careers yet less than ideal love lives but find a way to make us believe that their lives are all shimmery and glossy. Nope, not buying it! Marriage is a job and, like any other job, each person plays a different role to ensure its success. I believe to be successful in love one has to choose: The hustler or the support system behind the hustler.
*just my thoughts*
Hmmm, interesting take on the topic. But is it not possible for a power couple to be successful in their careers as well as their marriage? Why does one have to be at the expense of the other?
@Viva
Its because most all careers require 100% devotion from a person in their journey to reach the top. Devotion is cingular, you can’t be devoted to work and marriage or anything else at the same time, if you insisted you would soon love one and grow to hate the other.
Agree 100%
I disagree.. I think its all about achieving an appropriate work-life balance. If both partners love and respect each other’s hustle, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to be able to support and cheer each other on their journeys. This act of love and support for each other could naturally manifest itself into greater love in the relationship.
Jay & Bey at this point are just exploiting their fans and celebrity status. Don’t buy anymore products from these exploiters!