Successful Relationships Reading Corner
This week, we asked if you give enough time and attention to your close relationships. Here are some of the articles we’ve written before on the importance of relationships and their quality.
How Hanging Out Enhances and Strengthens Your Relationships “Phil and I have, since the very early days of our relationship, set aside a time every evening to be alone with each other. We do many different activities during this time: crossword puzzles, talking, reading aloud to each other, watching movies and series and all manner of other things we come up with. It’s a retreat from the world that we have come to call our sacred space. However stressful life, work and politics have been, we are able to put those aside. But the activities are not the main thing going on. That is not the purpose. It is about giving our full attention to each other and the connection between us. It doesn’t really matter what we are involved in, as what we are really doing is reveling in being with each other, in sharing who we are and taking pleasure in the deep sense of connection we have. The feelings that arise from this experience are calming, nurturing and give us sustenance for our daily living.”
Why Making Time for Sacred Space in Your Relationship is so Important “This sweet nougat of grace is there always between us. And on this journey we have undertaken to swim within it with consciousness. As we were talking about this very center of our relationship, of all deep relationships, we looked up the meaning of sacred. Some of my favorite definitions are: blessed, something treated with great respect, consecrated, revered, spiritual, numinous. The sense of being present with each other is as strong as ever. The palpable awareness of our connection is emphasized through stepping out of our daily routines and surroundings, opening up to an unknown adventure and the quiet peace of just being together.”
Are You Open to the Sacred in Your Relationship? “Our relationship has been filled with revelations for both of us. The largest of those has been its sacred nature. We use this phrase consciously, as we came to this truth through actual experience. We call it our sacred space, a time when we set aside our involvement with the world and come together to revel in each other’s presence. You’ll find advice like this in plenty of relationship articles, usually described as spending quality time with each other.”