Reading Corner

Links related to the weekly posts.

 

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This week, we wrote about the power of seeing and being seen in your relationships. Here are some of the articles we’ve written on different aspects of this fascinating topic.

3 Things That Every Person Wants in Their Relationships “Acknowledgment is when you communicate to the other person that you see them, like the famous words in the film Avatar. You let them know that you truly see them and that who they are brings you joy and adds to who you are.”

Why Relationships Last: Acceptance, Acknowledgment, Appreciation “It is an amazing feeling when someone truly sees you, hears you, and celebrates who you are; when the feedback you receive is acknowledging, accepting, and appreciative. There is a sense of warmth and relief that comes over you and a calm relaxation that engulfs you when you are offered this gift. This is the actual experience of peace that descends upon you when interactions are devoid of criticism, rejection, or attempts to change you. There is a similar experience of peacefulness within you when you can accept, acknowledge and appreciate the uniqueness, the otherness of someone you are relating to. When you approach them with this attitude, it changes you. When you experience actions or statements that are different from the way you usually act and can still recognize the commonality, it is transformative.”

Beware of Criticism; It Can Poison Your Relationship “What helps me tremendously is that Maude is never a critic. She may offer critiques, but never criticism. She is sometimes so complimentary that I find it hard to accept. One trick when receiving a compliment in which you don’t recognize yourself is to simply say “Thank you.” The person is offering you a gift (assuming it’s sincere), so don’t insult them by refusing it. Accepting honest praise may feel so unnatural at first, but stick with it. Especially in our earlier years together, I scarcely recognized myself in Maude’s descriptions of me, but I was bold enough to accept those better visions of myself and change my self-perception. (This is the kind of reframing which Maude wrote about last week.)”

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This week, we wrote about the balance between self-reflection and connection in relationships. Here are some earlier posts on communication and connection.

How to Remove Tension and Find Peace in Your Relationships “We had a couple of heart-to-heart conversations this week; one about desires on my part, and one about the desires of Maude. I don’t want to describe them because they both involved other people, and the point of mentioning them is that they weren’t fraught. I had an expectation of push-back because that’s how negotiations usually work in life, but there was none. This is how it happens with us all the time, and it is a very magical process because there is no sense of compromise. It works because we each bring our full self to present to the other person. That requires self-reflection because I can seldom say why I want something without paying attention to what need is driving it, and there are usually deeper desires behind that, too.”

Why it is Important to be Honest and Share Your Truth in Relationships “To speak your truth takes self-reflection and requires knowing what your feelings, wants and even needs are, examining where any confusion lies, and then looking at how that applies to your relationships. No matter how open and connected those relationships are, if you aren’t aware of your own inner truth, the other person will have little chance of knowing what that is or how you feel. Fear of rejection, disapproval, or conflict often stops people from sharing honestly with loved ones. For this fear to be quieted, you have to feel safe in your relationships. Sharing the same core values and having relationships based on acceptance of your unique individuality promotes this sense of safety. Even when these critical factors are present, the method of presentation is pivotal in creating a loving uncharged exchange.”

Why It’s Important to Know Your Truth and Share it in Your Relationships “Yet, what is speaking one’s truth and how can you do it? This art must be developed through inner work and conscious behavior. To speak your truth you must first know what it is – that it comes from you, not from anyone else, and it represents your feelings and thoughts. It is not absolute, and can change as you look at a situation and your feelings and adjust accordingly. It takes self-reflection and a desire to know yourself so you can share openly. Finding that place resonates deeply and leaves you with a good feeling about yourself. Maude was recently feeling some tension between herself and a dear friend. Her first thoughts were all about her friend’s behavior, leaving her feeling critical and upset. Not wanting to maintain this feeling about her friend, she started searching within and looking at what she was feeling and why it caused such distress and a feeling of distance from her friend. After some inner reflection, she realized that what she wanted was really something quite simple that she hadn’t communicated at all, and yet she was feeling resentful that she wasn’t getting it from her friend. Once she knew her truth, she was able to communicate that very peacefully, with calm and a complete lack of tension. This led to a lovely interaction and a plan which was even better than what she had been looking for.”

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This week, our topic is respect, one of the factors of peace in relationships. Here are some other posts we’ve written on this very important subject.

Why Respect is Important for Creating Peaceful Relationships “When we relate to another, we have to do so with a profound respect for their sacrosanct nature. This understanding brings about an unexpected result. It means that we accept and honor the boundaries between ourselves and those of others. And strangely, by the very fact that we do that, the boundaries slowly disappear, along with any sense of separation and distance. By treating the other person with honor and an awareness of their unique person, we establish a deep sense of calm, trust and safety in the relationship. Each of us is unique. Inherent in that statement is the truth that we are by our very nature always different. We experience the paradox of being both different and the same. We all share so much within our humanity, and yet we each bring different pieces of the puzzle to the party. When we approach others with this understanding, it does much to foster the kind of connection that those who value peace desire.”

Why Respect is Important for a Happy, Loving Relationship “Respect is almost an old fashioned word. We don’t speak of it often. And yet, it is one of the cornerstones of happy loving relationships. It is what we offer when we accept another’s individuality. Not just accepting, but honoring their uniqueness. We show respect by the way we treat each other: by our tone of voice, our willingness to listen, to accept the inevitable differences of personality and behavior. We show it by our love and our kindness; by the empathy we feel and the warmth, safety and comfort we give. Respect starts with empathy – from being able to put ourselves in another’s shoes. The more we can identify with them, the more this can happen.”

Why Respect is the Small Word With Big Importance in Relationships ” A less frequently talked about, but equally important aspect of peaceful harmonious relationships, is respect. Respect need not be based on accomplishments or be earned. It is something we offer arising from an awareness of our kindred nature. We offer respect for each other’s uniqueness, individuality, and commonality. It is easiest to practice respect within our deepest and most intimate relationships. This is the arena in which we learn how to do this; where we can feel assured of sharing the same values, and of feeling loved and safe, making respect easier to offer. As we learn to be respectful, and to come from that premise, we will slowly be able to spread this aspect of peaceful relating to those with whom we do not share meaning and value. Even when this is the case, we share all the most basic characteristics, even with those who have not yet learned to act in a respectful manner.”

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This week, we wrote about how to recognize and bring peace into your relationships. Peace is a foundational theme of ours; here is a diverse collection of articles we gave written about peace.

Do You Want a Peaceful Relationship? Yes, You Can Have One! “My parents’ relationship was a strong influence on my understanding of what it meant to be together. Theirs was a passionate and loving relationship. I still describe how they were as being “madly in love with one another.” There were disagreements but not really arguments. They believed in not holding onto anger, and were intensely committed and loyal to one another and to my brother and me. There was a deep acceptance and a strong trust in each of us.”

How to Practice Peace Within Your Relationships “How can we practice peace within our relationships? Delve into this question with us through these excerpts from How Two: Have a Successful Relationship: One of the most surprising aspects of our relationship is the direct experience of peace that it engenders. This follows naturally from the alternatives to conflict that we practice. For us, peace is not a void described by the absence of conflict, anger or war. Peace is an actual experience. It is filled with calm, assurance of goodness, acute awareness of presence, acceptance of what is, joy, and overflowing love. It is both intense passionate happiness and quiet, rock-solid reassurance. Peace permeates all of our interactions and is our underpinning, our foundation. We are convinced that this knowledge and the direct experience of actual peace can be available in every relationship.”

Peace in Your Relationship and the World “We have written many times about the extraordinary peaceful and passionate nature of our relationship, and in fact our primary goal in all our writings, books and blogs is to spread peace one relationship at a time.
In these very disturbing times, it seems a good moment to focus on this central part of our message. We have a direct experience of peace together that neither of us has known about previously, except as an image or goal. When we speak of this we are not referring simply to the absence of conflict. For us, peace is not a void described by the absence of conflict, anger or war. Peace is an actual experience. It is filled with calm, assurance of goodness, acute awareness of presence, acceptance of what is, joy and overflowing love.”

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This week, we wrote that connection is the heart of peace-filled relationships. Here are some posts we have previously written on connection within relationships.

A True Connection Between People Brings Peace and Joy “So, I didn’t recognize what you described to me in those terms, but I did have an experience that was different, and so I now know what it was coming from. It was just that everything felt softer. I think that’s because there was more connecting, as you described it. And that’s how we come together, because what I was feeling was the experience of when you really connect with another person, when what you’re doing together, and when you’re relating, is truly connecting. So, by you being responsive when I approached you, by giving me your attention, and not feeling resentful, or as though you were being interrupted—those were your words—what I experienced was something softer, like a gentleness, and a feeling of goodness. That sense was coming from the fact that there was more connection going on; noticeably more, although I didn’t think of it that way. I just thought this is very nice; this feels soft and gentle and connected. I didn’t feel disconnected before, but I’m talking about the actual experience of connection. Having nothing to do with any sense of disconnection.”

It’s Important to Feel the Connection in Your Relationships “A cautionary word for relationships: Pay attention, be alert, stay aware of the experience of your connection. All too often, people become so used to the contact and connection in their relationships that they start to take them for granted. You presume upon that sacred gift. You stop really noticing the experience of that connection; how it makes you feel, why you treasure it, why it’s so important. The less you are aware of it, the less you nurture it and the thinner that connection becomes. Yes, there are memories of the importance, yes, there is fondness and love for what has been. But the actual experience can begin to fade.”

Why the Essence of Connection in Your Relationships is Being Present “One of the elements that permeates our relationship is that when we are together we are present with each other. We are not only there in the physical sense, but also mentally and emotionally. I’ve been thinking about how important it is to practice presence in all relating, and how this gets lost so very often in the way people interact with each other. What does this feel like when it is there and when it is missing? I have a good friend who seems almost to have disappeared from view. When we are together, I do not feel she is actually there. She seems to be on her way somewhere else: mentally, emotionally, and even physically a bit. The flavor of my friend is still there, but the feeling of her essence being present with me, with “us”, is not. I mention “us” because this is an important component of presence in relationship. When I sit here on the couch discussing the blog topic and content with Phil, we are both acutely involved in this moment. We are here with each other and also with the “we”, the “us” as well. As we have been doing this for decades, the mutual self is quite recognizable and is present along with each of our individual selves.”

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