Relationships often go through challenging times, and sometimes it may seem like things are too broken to be repaired. But the good news is that troubled relationships can be fixed, emerging even stronger than before.
Replacing a relationship on the rocks requires effort, understanding, and a lot of love. In this article, I share some fixing relationship quotes as well as practical steps you can take to mend the bond you share with your partner.
Remember to read between the lines to grasp the salient messages of the quotes. Let’s get started.
15 Fixing Relationship Quotes
- “Remember, there are no mistakes, only lessons. Love yourself, trust your choices, and everything is possible.” – Cherie Carter-Scott
- “If you forgive what broke and learn from it, you might be able to start anew and learn from those mistakes. I think that’s how marriages get to 67 years. You let go of the broken sharp hurts and build on a better relationship. If you hang onto the broken bits, you’ll surely cut yourself trying to fix it.” – Maria McCrohan
- “Fixing your heartbreak by getting into another relationship is not the way to live your life ― you need to live it on your terms for a while.” – Taylor Swift
- “You really can’t fix someone else, but that doesn’t take your power away. You have the power to fix yourself, and that eventually fixes everything.” – Jennifer Kruse
- “Are you trying to fix a relationship because it’s worth it? Or, are you fixing it just because you’re afraid that the void he/she leaves behind would hurt?” – Kavipriya Moorthy
- “There comes a time… when a relationship needs a ‘tune-up’ to repair and reset key areas within it, so it can once again feel healthy, loving, exciting, renewed, and promising.” – Ty Howard
- “You don’t repair that relationship by sitting down and talking about trust or making promises. Actually, what rebuilds it is living it and doing things differently ― and I think that is what is going to make the difference.” – Patricia Hewitt
- “Whatever problems arise in a relationship, it’s important to face them together as a couple. If an aspect of the relationship stops working, don’t simply ignore it, but instead, address it with your partner. Things change, so respond to them together.” – Anne Nwakama
- “Don’t break up. Fix the problem. Start the romance again. Go on dates again. Work on winning each other over again. This is why there are so many failed relationships. If you love each other and are best friends, then breaking up is not the answer.” – Unknown
- “Rebuilding trust when it’s broken is not dependent only on the person who has broken it or how many times they can prove they are honest. It depends on the person who has decided not to trust anymore. Though they may be totally justified in their decision not to trust, as long as they choose not to, the relationship has no hope of survival and should be ended. If or when they decide to trust again, there is hope reborn.” – Doe Zantamata
- “It is very possible for a couple to come back from the brink of a break up. It is only possible, though, if both people each do their part to bring healing to the relationship. It is impossible for one person to fix it on their own.” – Shannon Thomas
- “A successful relationship requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin
- “When you care deeply about someone or something, repairs are worth your investment of time, energy, effort, heart, and resources. Whether it is to repair a broken trust or a damaged relationship, take the initiative to make it right and make it better.” – Susan C. Young
- “The trust has broken down. It will take some time to change attitudes, and attitudes are going to be needed to develop trust.” – Peter Munk
- “A relationship is like a house. If a light bulb goes out, you fix the lightbulb; you don’t go and buy a new house.” – Faraaz Kazi
Tips for Repairing a Troubled Relationship
Having a handful of fixing relationship quotes is great, but you can make the most of them by internalizing the messages.
In addition to quotes, here are a few practical tips that can help you patch things up with your partner if your relationship is going through a rough patch.
1. Repair Broken Bridges With Communication and Understanding
Effective communication is essential in relationship repair. Create an environment where open and honest conversations can take place, allowing you and your partner to express thoughts and concerns without judgment.
Seek to genuinely understand each other’s perspectives and work towards finding common ground. Remember, the objective is not to win arguments but to discover mutually beneficial solutions.
2. Rebuild Trust
Trust serves as the foundation for any relationship, and if it has been compromised, it is essential to rebuild it.
Start by demonstrating transparency and consistency in both your words and actions. Show your partner that they can rely on you and that you are committed to restoring their trust.
Remember, rebuilding trust is a gradual process, so exercise patience and remain steadfast in honoring your commitments. Although it may seem like the end of the relationship when trust is broken, statistical evidence suggests that many couples who get back together after a divorce or separation tend to enjoy stronger bonds than before.
3. Heal Wounds and Move Forward
Forgiveness plays an important role in healing from past wounds and moving forward. Holding onto past hurts or grievances only weighs down the relationship.
Of course, it may be impossible to forget what has happened, but letting go does not imply forgetting. Instead, it is choosing to release the negative emotions attached to the past.
Embrace forgiveness as a powerful healing tool for yourself and your partner. It creates personal and relational growth space and fosters a brighter future together.
4. Show Empathy and Compassion
Empathy and compassion are essential elements in relationship repair. Empathize with your partner ― meaning, walk a mile in their shoes and try to understand their feelings, experiences, and perspectives.
Compassion is an action word; demonstrate it by offering support, patience, and kindness. Remember, repairing a relationship requires mutual effort, and empathy serves as the adhesive that fosters emotional closeness.
5. Work on Your Conflict Resolution Skills
Conflicts are an inevitable part of any relationship. The key is to approach them constructively, and here are two important tips for resolving conflicts in relationships:
- Practice active listening: Don’t just listen so you can counter what your partner has said. Instead, listen attentively to hear and understand their perspectives.
- Strive for compromises: Always look for a middle ground that meets both of your needs. You want to prioritize solutions that benefit the relationship as a whole rather than what suits just one person.
Remember, conflicts provide opportunities for growth and understanding when handled with respect and openness.
6. Nurture Companionship through Support and Encouragement
During the process of relationship repair, it is crucial for you and your partner to support each other.
Be a reliable presence for your partner, providing a listening ear and a supportive shoulder. Instead of taking love for granted (which often happens in established relationships), encourage and appreciate your partner’s efforts, even in small ways.
Remember that love is an ongoing choice, and small acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude go a long way in fostering a positive and supportive environment.
7. Strengthen Your Connection With Emotional Intimacy
While sexual and physical intimacies are important, these alone can’t sustain a relationship on the rocks. Emotional intimacy is the secret to a strong lifelong bond; it connects partners beyond physical attraction, helping them to become deeply aware of each other’s needs.
With emotional intimacy, partners can listen actively to each other and openly express thoughts, feelings, and experiences, which are key to repairing troubled relationships.
Consider the following suggestions for cultivating emotional intimacy:
- Create moments of vulnerability where you share your hopes, fears, and dreams with your partner.
- Express love and appreciate each other for all you do to make the relationship work.
- Engage in meaningful conversations (not mere chit-chats) about the things that are important to both of you.
Besides deepening the bond you share with your partner, emotional intimacy leads to a profound understanding of one another, making it a bit easier to patch things up when the relationship is in a troubled state.
8. Learn From Mistakes
Mistakes happen in every relationship; even long-term couples who are head-over-heels for each other make mistakes every now and then.
But that’s not to say mistakes are pleasant. In fact, mistakes can threaten the foundation of an otherwise loving union if they are repeated over and over again.
Still, it is important to see mistakes as opportunities for learning and growing.
Learning from mistakes and growing from them means embracing the lessons of the past and committing to positive changes for the future. This doesn’t end with merely reading fixing relationship quotes. Rather, it means acknowledging your mistakes, taking responsibility for your actions, and offering sincere apologies backed by appropriate behavior.