I feel disrespected in this relationship

Illustration/Uday Mohite

I am a 27-year-old man and have been in a relationship with a girl who is around two years younger. We have similar backgrounds, but she is at a senior position professionally, and this causes some friction between us. We have been in a relationship for around a year-and-a-half now, and things were not a problem until she got promoted a few months ago. Since then, I get the feeling that I am being disrespected, as if my opinions aren't as important as hers just because she has more responsibilities at work and gets paid more. I don't know how to bring this up without it leading to an argument. What do I do?
If you feel disrespected or slighted in any way, the best thing to do is mention it and talk about why you feel the way you do. Her actions may be completely unintentional because we sometimes fail to recognise that aspects of our personality have changed due to external circumstances. Think of it as being open and honest with someone you trust, and someone whose best interests you have at heart. If she welcomes it in the right spirit, you can both grow together. Worrying about it leading to an argument is not reason enough to avoid this conversation because you are harming yourself as well as your relationship.

A close female friend of mine and I used to get along really well until I made the mistake of telling her that I had feelings for her. She has not been close to me since. How do I fix this rift?
It's not a mistake to be honest about your feelings. Her reaction simply indicates that she doesn't reciprocate them. If you still value her as a friend, reach out and tell her that it's okay for her to not have feelings for you. This sort of maturity is hard to come by but accepting it can lead to a strong and powerful friendship between two adults.

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