It always
seems to happen after a time, doesn't it? What starts out as sheer and utter
bliss, becomes routine or much less, and one of the consequences is that your
partner simply no longer makes you happy the way he/she did at the beginning.
So now what
can you do?
- Communicate: As logical as it seems, talking
is simply not one of those things many couples do when things start on the
downward spiral. Or at least, they don't do it well. The issue is
frequently that both partners believe that the downward spiral is the
fault of the other, and so the 'talk' they do have is filled with blaming
or accusations, or at the very least, guilt trips and other emotional
manipulation, and so nothing is truly resolved in the talking because one
or the other is always made to feel bad for their behavior or their
perceived lack of something by the partner. Here are some ideas on how to
better communicate:
- Address issues when they are fresh: don't let them linger. If one of you is hurt or angry or upset for any reason whatsoever, the issue should be discussed. The person who is upset is not necessarily right, nor is the other one necessarily right. What is important is the freedom to talk about it openly, putting both sides on the table and attempting to find a win-win solution that works for both. Some version of a win-win solution should almost always be possible. It simply means that both sides are willing to concede a point in order to leave the table with an amicable solution. On other occasions you may need to agree to disagree (see below), and sometimes using the scale of 1-10 (see below) might be helpful.
- Understand the meaning of healthy boundaries, discuss them and begin to implement them together. Above all, be careful about letting resentment enter your partnership if one of you is overstepping boundaries and the other has unhealthy boundaries because such resentment is ultimately poisonous for the relationship. Understand that both of you have an issue. Also see: Do Your Relationship Boundaries Contribute to your Well-being? and Finding it Hard to Love Yourself? Check Out Your Boundaries
- Be consciously aware and not blindly reactive in your reactions with your partner. Essentially this means that as long as you react impulsively when your buttons get pushed, as opposed to giving yourself a moment to choose a reaction that is good for you and good for the occasion, you will tend to bring your communication to a dysfunctional halt. Listen to my audio clip: How Do You Choose to React?
- Allow yourself to be vulnerable. People
that don't do this tend to be afraid of standing emotionally naked before
their partner. Hence they hold back many emotions, the consequence of
which is, of course, that many avenues of exploration and communication
with the partner remain blocked. Bringing up emotions, even if you find
it difficult, is not only healthy for the relationship, but also for the
person him or herself who finds it difficult to do this. Also see: Emotional Unavailability: An Introduction and Having a Relationship with an Emotionally Unavailable Partner
- Agree to disagree and learn how not to
'need' to be right. Taking your ego's needs out of the equation is a
recipe for much success in a relationship. This does not mean you are to
lie down and become a doormat, but that you need to ask yourself how much
of your need to be right in given
situation with your partner is an ego question or is simply not
important. Obviously the more both
of you understand this principle and adhere to it, the more both of you
will contribute to the blooming health of your partnership. Also see Giving Up the Need to Be Right
- Use the 'on a scale of 1-10' method for
joining in activities you might find less than exciting. If your partner
thrills to opera or can't wait to see the horse races, or if your partner
loves football or bird watching, theatre or deep sea fishing, you might
decide to do some of these activities separately as below in the point
two, or, if you have a free afternoon that you actually want to spend
together, and one prefers the action movie and the other prefers the
romantic one, it might be a simple thing to ask: on a scale of 1-10, how important is it for you to do this?
Depending on the answer, you will see which of the two is more invested
in their particular choice, and assuming that this will be a two-way
street on future occasions, you could then go ahead and participate in
the activity of the partner with a higher rating on the afore-mentioned
scale.
- Make a point of using dinner for daily communication - but not about issues or problems. Sit down at the table without the TV in the background (or foreground) for those 15-30 minutes that dinner takes and communicate with one another. Use that time to connect. Make it a habit!
- Open windows and
doors to allow more 'fresh air' to enter the relationship: What I am calling 'fresh air'
simply means that which the couple undertakes both together and
separately: interests, activities, hobbies, friendships, etc. Just as too
much of this 'fresh air' is not healthy for the relationship, so is not
enough of it bad for the health of the relationship. You need to spend
time together, but just as importantly, you need to spend time apart.
- Common activities
and friendships: To have mutual friends and common interests and activities is
evidently of paramount importance in a relationship.
- Separate
activities and friendships: However, to also have separate friendships, interests, and
activities is also of paramount
importance in a relationship. This allows both partners to take in fresh
air and bring this fresh air into
their mutual contact and communication. If partners are clinging to
each other for all their social activities and interests, the
relationship will soon wither and stagnate, and even though people might
stay together for decades or even a lifetime, the process of stagnation
will have affected the quality of the relationship in ways that only
become apparent when one of them 'suddenly' decides they can't take it
anymore and announce they are leaving.
- Life meaning
(for both): This
is as essential to each of the partners and by extension to the
relationship, as oxygen is to our bodies. I cannot underline enough how
important it is for every individual to have a meaning in their life, no
matter what that meaning is. This meaning should not depend on another
human being, but should emanate from yourself. It should bring you joy
and satisfaction and serve as a support for you when life is difficult. Also
see Finding a Meaning for Your Life
- Recognize that
your happiness is your own responsibility: This point is by far the most important
one. As long as one or the other partner believes that their happiness is
the responsibility of the other or lies in the hands of the other, the
relationship will surely eventually slide down the slippery slope to
failure. In order to implement such knowledge into your life, you will
need to become very conscious and aware of all you think and do, and how
you act and react at all times. This is not tremendously difficult, but
does require some practice. Also see Consciousness Is a Full-time Job
For much more about love and about choosing your reactions, and how awareness about this can help you move towards spiritual partnership and inner peace, see my new book The Tao of Spiritual Partnership is now available in print and Kindle formats.
To download the first chapter, click here
To see the Table of Contents click here
From the Description on Amazon: More exciting than any other kind of relationship you have ever known, spiritual partnership is a path, a Tao, available to you so that you may transform your life. Spiritual partnership becomes background music to daily life allowing you to enhance the process of your growth and evolution.
This ground-breaking book addresses:
• relationship patterns that hold you back from a truly fulfilled life
• the strong connection between sexuality and spiritual partnership
• communication leading to true connection & lasting transformation of your relationship
It is precisely at the problematic crossroads so often encountered in relationships that we are offered the opportunity to create a new foundation based on mutual complementarity rather than need; a free relationship between two people who want to be together, rather than two people who need to be together. Needing another, we are told, is the measure of love, but for a fully conscious individual nothing could be further from the truth. And therein lies part of the secret and healing power of spiritual partnerships.
Praise for The Tao of Spiritual Partnership
“All humans seek the illusive touch of another's Soul, which opens us to the sense of belonging to something bigger than the self. Dr. Kortsch has given us the true "tao" of relationship in this brilliant exploration of emotional tapestry. We will be grateful for this illumination of spiritual partnership for generations to come."
Chris Griscom: Spiritual Leader, Author
“Eloquently and comprehensive, showing how your primary love relationship may be a sacred vessel that transports you and your partner to a place of mutual healing and expansion.”
Robert Schwartz: Author of Your Soul’s Gift: The Healing Power of the Life You Planned Before You Were Born
"The Tao of Spiritual Partnership is a unique blend of wit and wisdom; Dr. Kortsch encourages us to take responsibility for our relationships, while recognizing and seizing the opportunities for our own personal spiritual growth."
William Buhlman, Author of Adventures Beyond the Body
For more about focusing on making conscious choices that will enhance your life and promote greater inner peace and freedom, have a look at my book Rewiring the Soul: Finding the Possible Self
To download the first chapter, click here
To see the Table of Contents click here
From the Description on Amazon:
Ask anyone, whatever their circumstances, if their life is vibrant, fulfilling, harmonious and happy. An honest reply is likely to be 'no', because to answer a truthful 'yes' is no mean feat. Only to grow psychologically and emotionally is not enough. And only to grow spiritually is not enough either. All three dimensions need to be developed in order to realize your full potential. If you are willing to assume total responsibility for the self and to start what is an on-going journey, you will quickly begin to glimpse the first fruits of the ultimate goal: inner well-being, freedom, peace, harmony and joy. This book sets out the pathway to self-mastery and self-discovery and walking that pathway will be the most exciting adventure of your life.
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