A topic that is basic to having a successful relationship is individuality: seeing your partner as a complete and separate individual, and honoring and celebrating them for that fact. This one understanding leads to almost all the other elements of …
How to be Separate Individuals with a Successful Relationship Read more »
We’re sure that when you first met your partner, there were many things that you appreciated, and you’ve probably noticed many more since then. But it’s very easy to get used to them little by little until they blend into …
For a Successful Relationship, Appreciate Your Partner Read more »
If you read our blog from last week, you know that belief and intention are the first requirements toward peaceful relating and finding mutual solutions. Once you believe this is possible and you have the clear intention to participate in …
How Is a Peaceful Relationship Like Riding a Bicycle? Read more »
This week we are speaking individually on the subjects of intention and belief. PHIL: There are but two simple steps to having a wonderful relationship: believing such a relationship can exist, and intending to have one. It can’t be that …
Why Are Intention and Belief Important in Relationships? Read more »
Making lists and keeping score are really bad things to do in a relationship. Making lists is something we do in our minds and is always about something we have not communicated to our partner. They often involve expectations that …
How to Avoid Trouble in Your Relationship: Don’t Keep Score! Read more »
What is it about being right? Why are we all so obsessed with the need for it? Is this really what we want in a relationship, in a conversation, when making decisions and finding solutions? Being right – it’s the …
I’ve been thinking quite a lot about the discussions we’ve had recently concerning power struggles within a relationship. We’ve been talking about John Gottman’s book “Why Marriages Succeed or Fail“. He observed many couples in terms of their conflicts and issues …
How to Avoid Power Struggles in Your Relationship Read more »
The phrase “complete honesty” brings up many issues immediately. What does it mean? Are little white lies allowed? Does it do more harm than good? In our experience, the answer is clear. Complete honesty is one of the basic foundations …
We’ve all had failed relationships and suffered the inevitable postmortem of what went wrong. Are you starting out a new relationship? Do you want this one to be different? What can you do to make better choices? Questions like these …
The Three A’s: Acceptance, Acknowledgment, Appreciation I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen by them, heard by them, to be understood and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give …