Reading Corner

This week’s blog is on how to communicate in your relationship and getting to know yourself. Here are some articles discussing this topic.

We’ve linked to this first article before, but it is so to the point that we’re including it again.
9 Steps to Better Communication Today “The most popular myth about communication in relationships is that since you talk to your partner, you’re automatically communicating. While talking to your partner is indeed a form of communication, if it’s primarily about everyday, “surfacey” topics (“How were the kids?” “How was work?” “How’s your mother?”), you’re not really communicating about the important stuff. This article is primarily about how to talk in a more open and rewarding manner with your significant other.”

Healthy Relationships “Open, honest communication should be part of every healthy relationship. Use the guidelines below to open up the channels of communication between you and your partner”

8 Tips For Communicating Better in Relationships “All of us who have relationships have struggled with communication. It comes in friendships, family relationships, romantic relationships, and work relationships, to name the main ones. But each of these relationships are in our lives so we can learn how to be better communicators, and thus not only express ourselves effectively but learn how to meet others’ needs and get our needs met as well.”

This week’s blog is on maintaining flexibility within your relationship. Here are some articles discussing this topic.

Improving Couples’ Attachment Security, Intimacy, Stability and Satisfaction “I believe the primary objective in couple therapy is to help couples improve the stability and satisfaction in their relationship and learn to stay flexible, not rigid. It’s important for couples to maintain a context of intimacy and engagement that allows them to experience a sense of trust and security in which they can be ‘safely vulnerable.'”

How to be Flexible in a Relationship “A lot of us have been conditioned to think that once we find the person who we believe is perfect for us, then the hard work is over. Everything should be smooth sailing from that point on. After all, if they are perfect for us, shouldn’t everything just fall into place? But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, once you find the partner you are ready to commit to, that’s when the real work begins. And any healthy relationship will require a certain amount of flexibility from each partner.”

Relationship Tips for a Happy Marriage Part 92: Be Flexible “Would you describe yourself as a flexible person? Flexibility in marriage means being open to each other’s plans and ideas, and being willing to go beyond the comfort zone where necessary. It also means getting over the idea that your desires are the most important consideration in the relationship and responding to the needs and desires of the other party.”

This week’s blog is on belief and intention within relationships. Here are some articles of interest on this topic.

3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Enter A Relationship “Recently, I did something radical; I entered into a relationship with the intention of extending love. I consciously set the goal of peace.”

How to Attract Peaceful & Nurturing Relationships “I used to think relationships had to always be hard. Full of strife, jealousy and distrust. Subject to harsh words, crossing the line, anger and resentment. And I found myself in relationship after relationship, whether friendship or romantic, that only confirmed this…. Eventually, I just couldn’t take it anymore… I wanted peace. I wanted understanding. I wanted my relationships to feel calm, nurturing and, most of all, respectful.”

Why Are Intention and Belief Important in Relationships? This is an earlier post by us (Phil and Maude) on the same subject. “You have to believe that a peaceful non-conflictual relationship is possible before you are likely to experience it…. Once you have the belief that such a form of relating is possible, you have to make it your intention to have this in your relationship.”

This week’s blog is on the power of touch. Here are some articles to this very important topic:

The Power of Touch “Touch is the first sense we acquire and the secret weapon in many a successful relationship. Here’s how to regain fluency in your first language.”

Intimacy In Relationships “One of the keys to a healthy, long-term relationship is maintaining physical intimacy. I’m not just talking about sex, though—for many reasons, non-sexual physical intimacy is just as important. For one thing, touch is a form of communication. It can reveal everything from your partner’s current mood state to their stress level.”

The Power of Touch in Your Relationship “research reported in the New York Times suggests that couples that engage in more touch report higher levels of relationship satisfaction. This might sound like common sense, but it is also a good reminder of what helps sustain successful relationships.”

This week’s blog is a review of together.guide and the article we wrote for them on “Our Conflict-Free Relationship.” It’s hard to find articles that espouse our position directly, but these cover the important issue of communication in relationships.

Communication Between Couples: How to Communicate in a Relationship “Most people have never learned how to communicate. Without this skill, a person is handicapped in an intimate relationship. Without being able to express themselves and listen to another, partners cannot achieve intimacy. By developing your communication skills, you and your partner will be able to establish and preserve a loving, respectful relationship between two people who love each other.”

The Seven Deadly Sins of a Relationship “A reader, newly married, asked me to share my tips on how to make a marriage work. I wish I had a magic formula, but here’s a simple list of tips: spend time alone together; appreciate each other; be intimate often; talk and share and give.”

How to Communicate with Your Partner without Starting a Fight “A frequent concern couples have is how to express their disagreements without starting a fight. Learning how to communicate with your partner in a way that minimizes your partner’s defensiveness and makes it possible to have a conversation and not an argument is vital to the success of any relationship. Having a conversation and having an argument are two very different things…”