In any relationship, you are 100% responsible for your half, or, for 50% of the relationship.
If you only put in 75% of your maximum effort, then you leave 25% of yourself inaccessible.
This reduces the potential of the relationship as a whole by 50% – not just by 25%.
This is because not only is 25% of you inaccessible, but also, on the other side, an additional 25% is dissatisfied, or, unrealized.
Thus, every action (or inaction), every choice you make in every relationship is magnified by a factor of two.
Of course, while my example outlined the potential negative power of choices in relationships, there is also an equally powerful potential in making positive relationship choices.
Taking a small step forward, or putting in 25% more energy, results in a 50% potential improvement to the relationship overall.
Finally, I would suggest that there is a less linear, more exponential factor at play here …
… one plus one does not always equal two.
Every time you raise the bar, new possibilities open up, such that the true ceiling of potential in a thriving relationship may be unknown.
Matt Fried 