Enjoy
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Do You Feel Used and Unappreciated in Your Relationship Or Marriage?
By Jack Ito Ph.D.
Is there such a thing as giving too much? How can we decide what to do and not do for our partner? If you feel like you are always giving and not receiving, you may be giving too much. That sacrificial love of yours may actually be doing more harm than good. But how can you decide what to do and what not to do?
Should we just do the things we want to do? There are many things that we do for our partners that we don't want to do. Washing the dishes, taking out the trash, or going to work may be among them. If we stop doing these things, serious problems will result. Work is a necessary part of any relationship.
The unpleasantness of a task has little to do with the relationship. Usually, as soon as the work has been done, we are able to forget about it and move on. If you work for a company and they give you a paycheck, you don't keep thinking about last week's work. But, if they don't pay you, then you will feel cheated and used. Although not a job, we all have expectations of our partners. When these expectations are not met, we can feel used and cheated.
Loving sacrifice is not "loving" if it causes us to feel resentful or it adds to our feeling that our relationship is unfair. People have an inner sense of what is fair and when we start feeling things are unfair, we had better take action before it gets worse. Resentment, or that sense of unfairness , creates emotional distance and emotional distance kills relationships.
What actions can we take when we feel like we are giving much and getting little?
1. We can stop doing acts of meaningless sacrifice. What you are doing to show love to your partner may not even be important to your partner. Although it is something you might appreciate if your partner did it for you, it may not be part of your partner's love language. Not everyone wants a box of chocolates or to hear "I love you" at the end of every phone call. If doing things for your partner makes you resent your partner, then stop doing them!
2. We can tell our partner what we want. Most of the time we don't get what we want because we don't ask for what we want. What may seem like second nature to you may not even occur to your partner. If you are afraid to ask for what you want, then that is an assertiveness issue on your part. Thinking that you shouldn't have to ask may make you feel justified, but it won't help you to get what you want.
3. Negotiate. Negotiation is a normal part of any long term relationship. Negotiating everything could be a sign or trouble, but not negotiating at all is a sign of poor communication. Your partner and you have some different needs. "I'll pick up the kids tonight if you will make dinner," or "We can watch a movie you want this time if I can pick next time." Partners who were only children and who were pampered by their parents sometimes don't learn this kind of give and take. Making it explicit is a low conflict way to help yourself and your partner.
4. Use a mental or written checklist. When you are feeling resentful, ask yourself these questions:
1) Am I doing something that is really necessary?;
2) Have I let my partner know what I want or am I expecting my partner to "guess" what I want?; and
3) Have I tried negotiating this activity? If your answers are "no" to these questions, then you are being worse to yourself than your partner is.
A relationship, a true partnership, is many things. It is not purely emotional because there are many practical demands. It is not purely a matter of responsibilities because a relationship is not a just a job. It is not only a matter of management because a relationship is not just a business. However, a successful long term relationship has aspects of all three of these things: emotional, practical, and organizational. Using skills that pertain to these three components are vital to its success.
Relationship coaches teach more than 30 different skills related to relationship success. The extent to which you learn and use these skills is the extent to which your relationship can improve. Even learning one can make the difference between a relationship that gradually fades and one that stays vibrant. What you do today will determine what you get tomorrow.
Jack Ito PhD is a licensed psychologist and relationship coach. Since 1994 he has helped more than 1000 men and women to have better relationships.
Get your relationship unstuck by signing up for the Relationship Coach newsletter and receive a FREE RELATIONSHIP PLANNING GUIDE. Get daily help for your relationship at the Relationship Coach Blog.
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Have a baby after Depo-Provera
Looking to get pregnant quickly after Depo-Provera is quite difficult. Simply ask anyone who's been on it. Simply put i was, making this a subject matter near and dear to my heart...
First, let me explain what Depo-Provera is. Depo-Provera is known as a synthetic progesterone shot that is given once each and every 90 days to stop pregnancy from taking place. What the shot really does is keep the body in a prolonged state of pseudo-pregnancy, and therefore depo provera forces one's body believe that it's pregnant. The simple truth is, progesterone is the hormone produced following release of an egg. It's the hormone which will keep a person's menses from starting, and additionally sustains pregnancy. As a result of getting the shot every 90 days, your body stays saturated with the progesterone and thus no ovulation occurs. For that reason, your cycles discontinue until you decide to go off the dose. That's where the down sides commence.
Back in the day, Depo-Provera came to be like the modern magical drug. Depo rendered an individual ninety nine.9% in fertile until such time as users didn't need to be. Gynecologists would convince you a person's fertility cycle would restart within a couple of months of missing the following injection, and if not, they would just give you a reverse hormone shot to kick your cycles back up. The things they didn't reveal was indeed the infertility problems that ensued, and the detox side effects that we would go through whilst you came off. Excessive hair loss, false signs of being pregnant, intermittent menstrual cycles, menstrual cycles every fourteen days, and frequently not getting your cycle back at all. Many women waited more than a year to have their fertility cycles again, and as they did restart, these were infrequent at best. Most of the time though, they resume a regular routine.
But the most important thing to not forget is simply not to try to become pregnant too soon after your actual menstrual cycles resume. The reasons why?
You will observe that after your fertility cycles continue, you have rounds of infrequent menstrual spotting and bleeding. There does exist a good reason for this. You see, because of having ovulation discontinued for all that time, the lining of the womb can become very thin. There have been little or no cycles to remove the lining which would be your menstrual cycle. That lining is what sustains pregnancy. It needs to be deep enough for a fertilized ovum to burrow inside of it to preserve a pregnancy. In the event that the lining isn't thick enough, even when you were fortunate enough to fertilize an egg, it's likely that chances are that you possibly can miscarry. The main reason that you've got intermittent spotting until your menstrual cycles regulate after stopping the shot is that your body is attempting to thicken that lining naturally. Because of this, your system would definitely retain a pregnancy if it were to occur.
When your cycles choose to become regular as before, you will need to get started on charting and temping. You take your temperature each and every morning upon waking before stepping out of bed, and you record it on a temperature graph. The first fourteen days or so of your fertility cycle, your temperature is usually about half a degree lower than the 2nd part of your cycle. Right before ovulation, your basal body temperature drops a couple of points, and just after ovulation, it goes up almost a degree. By doing this regularly, you are able to see on which day of your menstrual cycle that you typically ovulate. By knowing what day you ovulate, you're able to easily time sex to increase your chances of becoming pregnant in any given cycle. There are a number of other signs that your body will give you to show that ovulation is getting ready to occur, and you will learn these along the way.
Now that you know which cycle day that you ovulate on, all you want to do is have sexual intercourse once each day during the 5 days before and the day of ovulation. Sperm are able to stay alive up to 5 days in a female's body, so sex even five days before ovulation happens can result in conception. But it is important to remember not to have having sex more than once a day, as that will lessen the man's sperm count. (It's actually not always as effortless to become pregnant as you suspect!) Yes, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing!
The most crucial thing to remember is to relax. Emotional stress also can hold off ovulation, which is defeating your procedure here. And be patient! Getting this done took me an entire twelve months to get my menstrual cycles back, then another 8 months to become pregnant, but we now have a beautiful three-year-old child to always be proud of. If your cycles don't restart within a year, speak to your health care doctor to make certain that there is nothing else going on with your body..
Christine Gerbehy is the author of many blogs, including http://notjustanothermommyblog.com and http://dieselonlife.com. She's proud wife to Jack, and proud mommy to Reilly. Watch for her new book "Get Pregnant After Depo Provera," coming soon... In the meantime, here's a GREAT book if you're having a hard time getting pregnant: http://bit.ly/byxLeB
There are actually several ways to say I love you even with the absence of words. Remember that action speaks louder than words. Words may not be enough to show someone you love him or her.
This article may give great ideas as it reveals three ways to say I love you even without words:
Let go of your past - One way to say I love you even with the absence of words is to let go of your past. When you completely let go of your past, you are actually telling him how much you love him or her. When you are tied up with your past, you are just giving him or her doubtful thoughts regarding your true feelings. When the person you love learns and feels you have completely forgotten your past, you are actually telling him or her I love you.
No comparisons - Another way to say I love you even with the absence of words is to never have comparisons. Do not compare him or her to anybody; especially with your ex. Always make him or her feel that she is special and a unique individual, and that you love him or her for who she is. When you make that person feel that he or she is incomparable, you are actually silently telling him or her I love you.
Accept flaws and weaknesses - This is one of the best ways to say I love you even with the absence of words. You do not actually demand for a person to change if you love him or her. You accept the person for who she or he is, and cover up the weaknesses. This is one of the greatest ways to say I love you.
Saying I love you may not be enough. Consider these three ways and let that someone feel how much you love them!
Elizabeth is a passionate writer. She has been writing online articles for three years now. You can check out her latest article jeans pants and compression pants on her website.
Boyfriend Too Busy With Work - How To Communicate To Maintain Your Relationship
By Rachel Lim Shuling
When my boyfriend started a new job, he became too busy with work to spend time with me. From the beginning, I told myself to be more understanding - because it was reasonable to respect his need to study, network with new colleagues, recharge (alone or with friends), bond with family, exercise, etc.
But despite my best efforts, I started feeling neglected and grumpy...
As a result, I became cold and mean to him - on the phone, and even on dates! It wasn't long before he started behaving distant too.
Hence, I knew I had to act fast before losing him...
It wasn't easy, I'll admit. It took courage and discipline, but I did it. So to help you communicate with your 'too busy' boyfriend in a way that will not only maintain your relationship, but also help it to grow, here's what you need to do...
BEFORE Talking About The Things You Feel Unhappy About, Be Clear And Specific About What You Want!
Since your boyfriend is too busy with work, it's safe to bet he's already feeling stressed out. Saying he's the source of your problems will only ADD to his stress - because he wants to help you solve your troubles, yet is lost when you don't tell him what you specifically want him to do.
In fact, if you don't tell him exactly what you want, he's likely to come up with (seemingly strange) solutions that don't work for you. Does this sound familiar? Your frustration mounts as you wonder "Why can't he understand what I need and want?"
Can you see when you, yourself are unclear about what you want, both parties lose?
[WARNING!: When your boyfriend can't help you solve your problems, he feels terrible about himself. Did you know a man's self-esteem crashes because your unhappiness communicates to him that HE'S A FAILURE - at solving your problems; making you happy; being your boyfriend? When a man feels like a failure, he cannot love. Hence, if you have gotten angry at your boyfriend because he couldn't read your mind, don't be surprised when he distances himself from you...]
Very often, women don't take the effort to spend time alone to ask ourselves honestly what we want...
I am guilty of this too. We hope that by sharing our problems, our boyfriends, who are usually so good at coming up with creative solutions that please us, will come up with another great idea to delight us. For example, I secretly hoped my boyfriend would push aside his other commitments to see me. I secretly hoped he would text me during his lunch break, or on his way to work.
But he never did...
It wasn't until my relationship was in serious danger of drifting apart that I finally took the effort and courage to tell my boyfriend "I prefer you to at least message me once - either in the morning, or during lunch. Otherwise, I just feel like we are friends who don't talk much." It scared me to text him this. But I heaved a sigh of relief when he actually THANKED me for being honest with him. He also told me that he would do as I asked. As a result, I am glad to report we are even more in love now.
Being clear about what I specifically want has worked for me time and time again. Yet, I don't always remember this technique until things get pretty bad. Fortunately, it ALWAYS helps me communicate with my boyfriend, even when he's too busy, to maintain and grow our relationship. By sharing my secrets, I hope you use it to successfully keep the affections of the man you love too! I know you can do it.
Men Can't Bear To Leave A Woman Who Communicates With Him Like No Other Woman Can!
Need help? Here's how I got from being 'Totally Confused' about communicating with men, to knowing how to melt his heart and be Cherished and Adored... Forever!
Click Here: http://understandmenbetter.com/ to learn the Real Truth about how to communicate with your boyfriend and get what you want now!
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Are you obsessed with the thought "What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back"? Does this single problem seem to occupy all your waking moments but, at the same time, you feel as if all your attempts to heal the breach with your ex just pushes him further away?
Maybe you are trying too hard to get your ex back, or maybe you are simply not going about it the right way. Try the following tips to increase the odds of you making up with your ex boyfriend.
It is perfectly normal for you to feel more worried and anxious the longer the split from your ex boyfriend continues, but your feelings of anxiety and insecurity could be causing you to behave in ways that will cause your ex to resist your attempts to get him back. You can't help your feelings, they are only natural; what you can do is stop letting those feelings dictate the way you behave.
Think about what you have been doing since the breakup. Have you been calling your ex on any pretext, or pestering him with text messages or emails? Do you find yourself hanging around places in the hope he will see you and feel sorry for you? You need to stop letting your whole life revolve around the single thought "What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back".
Instead of spending all your energy in trying to get your ex boyfriend back to seeing you or even just taking your calls, you need to follow the following strategy.
You have been missing your ex boyfriend, now you need to find ways to make him miss you. First of all break off all contact with your ex; don't call him, email him, text him or send messages via his friends. Resist the temptation to try to get a glimpse of him; as far as possible disappear from your ex boyfriend's life.
During this time, you will need a great deal of self-discipline to keep from falling back into the habit of trying to get your ex boyfriend back. Don't spend this time sitting around at home feeling lonely and thinking about how much you miss your ex and need to get him back. Concentrate on yourself; don't lose sight of the fact that you are a good and valuable person. You need to fill your spare time with positive things that will make you feel better. Do things like visiting an old friend, or learning to meditate, or joining a dance class (exercise will make you feel better both physically and mentally).
The old saying is true: absence does make the heart grow fonder. Your absence will give your ex boyfriend the chance to miss you; instead of feeling as if you are stalking him, your ex will not know what you are doing or how you are feeling. Giving him breathing space means he can start to miss hearing your voice on the phone, sharing fun with you, and seeing the face he loved. He can start worrying that you might have found somebody new.
Searching for Mr Right And the Perfect Relationship
By Carole Smith
For many contemporary women expectations that she should be married by the time she's in her mid-twenties would be scoffed at. Primarily because so many women are only just beginning to build their careers while others are doing what men did for years before them - they're playing the field and having fun
At somewhere around aged thirty-seven things begin to change if the woman is still single with not a hint of a decent man on the horizon. Strange things start to happen. For some a once distant ticking becomes a daily drum roll while others hear whispering voices getting a lot louder. Gone are the days of hearing the friendly, "when are you going to give us a day out" to "you'd better get a march on if you don't want to be left on your own." Fear begins to creep into her every pore followed by a fluttering panic and then a fever of sorts breaks out. Behaviour starts to change, sometimes it's focused, other times it's erratic, and then again, there are times when it's downright bizarre. Why? Because it's time to get serious and find the 'One.'
Some women who take up the mantra that 'it's now or never' will pull out all the stops to find a man so they can settle down quickly and start the process of becoming pregnant. You'll see her in bars and clubs scanning the room, smiling at everyone, and greeting each guy as she shimmies past. If by the end of the night, she hasn't been successful in finding a potential mate she'll strategically isolate an unsuspecting drunk guy who became separated from his friends. With luck, soon after they'll be meandering out together to find a taxi. "Maybe this time it will be right," she thinks fervently.
For the woman wanting a 'real' relationship, but with limited time and heavy work commitments she may try online dating. She pursues this new avenue with gusto and a military precision arranging multiple dates each week in her attempt to find 'Mr. Right.' After several weeks, she realises rather than meeting any potential Mr. Rights, she's meeting a whole lot of, 'Mr. I'm not really looking for a relationship just something casual.' Pretty soon she begins to feel like she's given countless interviews while conducting interviews of her own. Before long she's bone tired with the same old questions, 'so what do you work at...what do you do for your weekends...do you want to come back to mine after we leave here? Finally, she opts out disillusioned, immersing herself back in work - for a while at least until she's ready to try again.
There is the woman who through friendship or her social group knows a man who recently became single again. She'd never seen him as a potential partner before but she thinks, 'He's not my type...but maybe I should give it a chance.' They begin dating and while they have common interests, the longed for physical attraction isn't there. She grimaces when his hands caress her, she dreams of being elsewhere when they're intimate and all the while she reasons, "he's a good man, it's better than being alone."
And then there's my own experience some years back with the 'dating agency.' I met with the representative, a nice older lady, who had a long chat with me about my interests, and the type of man I thought would fit into my life. I liked her and so I paid over the fee that would guarantee me a minimum number of dates in the following year. After the first few dates, I began to feel a bit ticked off and wondered, 'Did she hear me at our meeting?' I had described my 'ideal' man (ok, we all have one!). However, each of my dates turned out to be about as polar opposite as one could get from the quirky humorous type of guy -- in a similar age bracket - that I had hoped to meet. I decided to confront the nice agency lady suggesting she might have misheard me when I described my ideal date. "Look dear," she said, "all the best men are married." Gobsmacked as I was then, to this day, I still don't know why she didn't just say what she meant. 'Look Dear, you're single, sure are you not happy enough getting out on a few dates.'
Finding the right person to love and be loved by isn't easy, yet even after failure we continue our search for the perfect relationship. But does it make sense when we know of the growing numbers of people living solo across Europe, the States and even in Ireland? Perhaps we ought to just accept our single status and get on with life. However we also know human beings are social animals, liking the company of others; there are even statistics to prove that we thrive better when we have people around. Isn't that why correctional institutions use isolation as punishment?
Maybe the answer as to why we continue in pursuit of a good relationship is simple. For one, you get to share your electricity and heating bills, you can debate 'til you're both blue in the face about a movie and joy of joys you don't have to pay single room supplements anymore. That aside and being a little more serious, much more than that is being able to share your innermost thoughts, fears, and hopes with someone who knows you well, who has your back, who cares about your welfare. Best of all is instead of the world revolving around just you, having a special someone in your life means there is someone else to look out for.
Now don't imagine even for a moment that singletons are anyway delusional. They are fully aware relationships are not always what they're cracked up to be. They've seen the couples who bicker and fight constantly, and know some who feel just as lonely in their relationship as they might in their solo living. But they will also know couples who make relationships look easy. They hear them laugh, see how they care for one another, and when the going gets tough, as it does even for them, they look on enviously at how they face whatever it is together. For those reasons, singletons will forever hold onto to the optimistic hope that someday they too will find their Mr. Right and the perfect relationship.
Carole Smith is a relationship counsellor, Life Coach and NLP practitioner. She also hosts seminars and workshops and has presented to women's groups, adult-education classes, and corporate organisations.
http://www.typedynamics.ie/
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Find My True Love - Getting That Real Relationship
By Tina L. Jones
Have you had enough of dating to no avail and you simply want to find your true love? Are the nights of clubbing all night wearing you out and you want to settle down with a man who'll be your true love? Do you need a few tips to get you to your true love fast?
When we set out to date just for the fun of dating, everything seems so easy. Plenty of guys are out there looking to have fun and we're more than prepared to offer up a whole night of fun. However, when we finally decide to chuck all that aside and try to meet the man who'll be our true love, we don't know where to begin.
Read on to see how you can leave the dating scene and meet a man you can love for life.
A Change in Wardrobe
It's no secret. When a woman steps out with the hopes of landing a guy she can spend a few hot nights with, she dresses in a way that advertises that fact. Little is given up to chance, so low cut shirts and mini short skirts are the order of the day. We want to be seen and we want to catch the eye of every guy in the joint.
But when we make the shift from fun dating to a serious search for our true love, we forget to make that shift in our appearance, and we continue to strut our stuff in a way that isn't conducive to finding a really good man.
While men enjoy looking at hot and sexy women, there still remains a hint of concern with regards to taking these women seriously. Maintain a presentable level of sensuality, no more.
The Personality Takes It
Where overt sexuality and flashy looks work wonders on the frivolous dating front, it's your personality that has to shine when you want to find true love. He wants to talk to you, get to know you and give you a good idea of who he is.
Be as genuine as you can be and simply do all you can to have a good time with him. Ultimately you want a strong sense of comfort, trust and respect to grow between you. Let your fun personality build that bond.
High Expectations
Even as little girls, we picture our vision of our Prince Charming. He should be of such height, such weight, such coloring, such wealth. When we set out to find our true love, we cling to that vision, blindly refusing to settle for anything less.
Unfortunately, in our quest to meet the man we believe to be perfect, we actually allow a great number of men to pass right under our nose. Why? Because he's not as tall as we'd hope. He's a little heavier than we wanted. His hair is dark and coarse when you'd always dreamed of sandy curls.
Be realistic as you write out your Prince Charming list of characteristics. You may come to find that your true love is kind, generous and loving rather than tall, dark and handsome.
Want to learn more? Go to: 77 Secrets of Love and learn how to make him fall in love with you hopelessly.
Get Your FREE Report When You Visit Today:* Love Triggers Revealed *
This article is contributed by Tina Jones from the Unforgettable Woman Publishing Team. She works together with founder Alexandra Fox and writes dating/relationship articles for women. You can find more about Unforgettable Woman Publishing by visiting their website.
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Things are changing rapidly in today's society, even in dating relationships; time is no longer essential and because of that separation in a relationship occurs rampantly indifferent of how long a relationship has lasted. What this all means is that longevity is no longer a guarantee that any relationship will last beyond it useful live at any time sometime unexpected comes between the two parties. So, the simple question that someone in protracted healthy dating relationship has to ask him or herself is; can this relationship carry on and lead to something more if I don't work hard on it?
If you absolutely want to revitalize and make your relationship last for a long time, here are five tips that you can use.
1. Be a trustful person: Your partner wants to know that he or she can trust you no matter what. Be candid and clear when you talk to each other and understand that honesty is always to best policy particularly in a relationship. White lies can only get you so far, if you're dedicated about your relationship you must learn how to dish the lies and how to genuinely be honest with your lover. If you are a addicted liar keeping a relationship will be a struggle for you; nevertheless, you could be truthful with your partner about your weakness in not telling the truth and beg him or her to encourage you to be more honest. Stay honest with your lover so that she can also be candid with you.
2. Keep your commitment: Do not accept a date invitation unless you are up to it and can show your date that you are there with them to have a great time. You can say genuinely that you are looking forward to your romantic date but your body just can't manage to cope up. Most partners or even first date will understand your honesty and will be agreeable to re-schedule your date when you both will be prepared and up to it. I will make it up to you is probably one the desirable phrases that most healthy dating relationship is based on; so when you fail your partner in any way, promise to make it up to them and you would be taken aback how fast your partner will accept your regrets. This way, she will appreciate that you value her.
3. Docket your activities together as a team: When planning for social activities or convenience travel that will involve your partner make sure that you let them in on it ahead of time so that they can make their schedule fit also. Do not assume that your schedule will always fit your partner's schedule; appreciate them and keep them informed of what you are doing ahead of time. As you allow your partner to make a decision to include you, so should you expect them to take part in your decision, but don't persuade them into it.
4. Control your expectations: Communicate candidly about your emotions and expectations, but do not invariably expect your partner to comprehend or be ready to meet your expectations mainly if you did not convey that to them distinctly. Most relationships fail because couples are not forthcoming about their affection; and even sometimes hide their feeling or what they think about the relationship with the other person.
5. Respect and support their occupation: Whether you have career of your own or not, continually try to appreciate what your partner does for a living, but more essentially avoid competing with your lover as far as occupation goes. Harmony and appreciation of one careers and ideas is a serious part of every successful relationships; therefore learn to appreciate and support each other's jobs and aspirations.
Give and take is a simple solution to many acrimonious relationship, and partners who find out early on to give and take will see their relationship grow healthier. Healthy dating relationship is in name only when individuals who admit to love each other are not respecting each other's feeling, and are not being truthful with each other, and most important; are as strangers to one another.
{Lastly, I want to say that these tips and ideas are not original. These are simple natural tips that most folks who have been in relationship for some time probably know about. So take them to heart and use them in your relationship as needed|To infer, I must say that these ideas and tips on healthy relationship are not new. There are advices that have been used by lovers for many years to enhance their relationships. So if you think that you need it, apply it in your relationship and see if it helps|The last and not the least, take these healthy relationship tips to heart; this may not be the first time you heard about them and plausibly will not be the last. Try to apply them in your own relationship where you think it is needed, and hopefully it can make a difference in your own life.
Are you looking for relationship advice for men that you could use to advance your relationship? If your answer is yes I firmly recommend that you visit dating advice for women Pages for more information on how you can accomplish just that.
A bad relationship is not the one that is going through a rough patch of disagreement and bitterness that are inevitable when two different people come together. In fact, the attachment in such relationships is with someone who is 'unattainable' in the sense that he or she is committed to somebody else, and doesn't want a long-term relationship, or is incapable of one.
Bad relationships are lacking in what one or both partners need. Such relationships can destroy self-esteem and prevent those involved from moving on, in their careers or personal lives. They are often fertile breeding grounds for loneliness, rage, and despair. These are addictive relationships when both the two partners are often on such different wavelengths that there is very little common between them. They hardly communicate with one another and don't enjoy the time spent together.
Remaining in such a relationship not only causes continual stress but may even be physically harmful for either of the partners. Physical abuse that is often a part of such relationships dominates instead of love. The tensions cause constant stress and they can drain energy and lower resistance to physical illness. Continuing such a relationship can lead to unhealthy escapes such as alcohol or drug abuse and can even lead to suicide attempts.
Despite the pain of these relationships, many rational and practical people find that they are unable to let go, even though they know the relationship is not going anywhere. One part of them wants to let go of the relation but a stronger part refuses or feels helpless to take any such action. It is in this sense that the relationship is addictive. Look out for these signs:
SIGNS OF ADDICTION
Even though you know the relationship is bad for you, and others also may have told you this, you take no effective steps to end it. You give yourself reasons for staying in the relationship that are not really accurate or that are not strong enough to counteract the harmful aspects of the relationship. When you think about ending the relationship, you feel terribly anxious and afraid. This makes you cling onto it even more.
When you take steps to end the relationship, you suffer painful withdrawal symptoms, including physical discomfort, that is only relieved by re-establishing contact.
If most of these signs apply to you, then you are probably in an addictive relationship and have lost the capacity to direct your own life. To move towards recovery, your first steps must be to recognise that you are 'hooked' and then try to understand the basis of your addiction. In this way, you will be able to understand the perspective to determine whether, in reality, the relationship can be improved or whether you need to leave your partner.
BASIS OF THE ADDICTION
There are several factors that can influence your decision to remain in a bad relationship. At the most superficial level are practical considerations such as financial entanglement, shared living space, potential impact on children, feared disapproval from others, and possible disruption in academic performance or career plans.
At a deeper level, there are the beliefs you hold about relationships in general, about this specific relationship, and about yourself. Learn not to get hooked into the games of relationships; avoid dangerous roles you tend to fall into.
Find a support group of friends who understand you. Share with others what you have experienced and learned. Consider getting professional help. When you are very unhappy in a relationship but are unsure of whether you should accept it as it is, make further efforts to improve it, or get out of it.
When you suspect feelings of guilt or fear of being alone, and you have been unable to overcome the effects of such feelings. When you recognise that you have a pattern of staying in bad relationships and that you have not been able to change that pattern by yourself.
You have to be bold enough to break away from the relationship and your partner. It might seem tough initially but, later on, you will get used to it and enjoy your freedom. You will realise the value of that freedom only when you gather the courage to confront your partner.
As we get older, we start hearing the little pit patter of feet in our minds. We start having dreams of having a husband, two-door garage complete with two point five kids. You may say that you are ready for a relationship. You are not getting any younger and after all you are a good catch. Any man would be lucky to have you as his wife. You are quite right. You are the catch of the year. But are you really ready for a relationship? Are you ready to fully commit to a relationship with someone else? Are you willing to compromise in a healthy manner for the benefit of the relationship? Are you emotionally ready? I remember knowing for a fact that I was ready for a husband and children when I was twenty-three. By all accounts I was ready. I knew how to run a household and I could balance a checkbook with my eyes closed. I was ready to handle the household finances. Of course my husband would never step out on me because I would be the perfect wife. Clearly, I was nowhere near ready for a relationship, nor did I understand fully what was required of me in a relationship. It definitely did not consist of me knowing how to balance a checkbook with my eyes closed.
Eight years later I believed that I was ready to meet that special one who would have the potential to be my husband and the father of my future two point five kids. Once again I thought that I was ready for a relationship. Financially, I was ready. I had my own thriving business and I done a lot of personal development so I thought that I was good. I could manage a home and I knew how to buy one too. By this time, I had also accomplished a lot of things in my life and I felt satisfied with my accomplishments, so I was ready to share my life with that special someone. However, emotionally, when I thought of getting involved I ran so fast in the opposite direction that I could easily have broken Usain Bolt's world record. Unfortunately, my emotional sprint seemed as if I wasn't ready at all for a relationship and it caused my love interests a tremendous amount of hurt and confusion. It was impossible to explain since I was just as confused as they were. Here I was finally receiving something I had been praying for and when it arrived I felt as if I was throwing it back to the Divine One up above. Suffice to say, I went through a rough emotional upheaval.
Unfortunately, I was unaware of the other person's emotional state. They too were not ready for a relationship. What I did not realize was that there were different stages in the emotional growth process. I had felt that as long as I had felt good and confident within myself then I was ready. But little did I know that was so much more that I needed to work thru in order to be really ready for a relationship.
There is no set date that you will know when you are finally ready for a relationship. Knowing when you are ready is really a matter of trial and error. While there are some issues that can be worked thru before getting involved in a relationship, there are other issues that will raise their heads during your love relationships. Some of those issues are:
1. Extreme Jealousy
2. Possessiveness
3. Manipulative behaviours such as playing mind games
4. Spitefulness
5. Lack of healthy compromise
6. Affairs/Cheating
If you are exhibiting any of those issues during your love relationship chances are you are not ready for a relationship. If there are still issues regarding healthy compromise and you still have it's all about me attitude with no regard for your partner then you are not ready for a relationship. Engaging in sexual relations with anyone outside of your relationship signifies a lack of emotional growth, which in turn signifies that you or your partner is not ready for a committed relationship. For you to be ready for a relationship, you must be willing to do your own personal development and thus be willing and open to continue working on yourself once you are in a relationship. This would work best if your partner is also open to personal development which would lead to continuous emotional growth for the both of you and for your relationship. However, if your partner is not open to personally developing themselves then it is up to you to walk away from this individual realizing that they are not ready for a mature relationship.
A relationship is not only about commitment, it is also about two emotionally healthy people who have the utmost respect for themselves and for each other who have worked thru their respective emotional issues or are willing to work thru them for the success of the relationship. Constant work is needed to for you to develop emotionally, spiritually and mentally. However, the work is necessary if we really want to be ready for a relationship.
Trudy-Ann Ewan, Founder and Executive Director of Create Your Passion Creative Life Coaching, is a Creative Life Coach, Freelance Writer and Motivational Speaker who specializes in the healing of mind, body, heart and spirit. To learn more visit her website at: http://www.createyourpassion.com where you can sign up for her free informative Newsletters, participate in interactive quizzes and Coaching Assessments and where you can also join her coaching program.
Creating Positive Relationships
I am sure I can offer over ten thousand pages of advice about relationships, but I won't. The world is filled with techniques, books, CDs and seminars designed to help people live together harmoniously. Yet, since the beginning of time, one of the largest problems we face on this planet is the inability to get along with one another. Poor relationships create war, divorce, family separation, runaways, defiance, fear and hostility.
One of my favorite movies is, "Oh God" starring George Burns and John Denver. If you did not see this movie I hope you will. The movie is a classic and full of advice for positive living. One great scene was when God (played by George Burns) appeared to Jerry Landers (played by John Denver) while he was taking a shower. God's request to Jerry, "Tell the world I'm still here. Spread the word that I still care and that the world can work." Jerry is a little distressed by God's request and he quickly challenges God. "The world isn't working. It's not working at all. We need help down here." At that point, God brilliantly replies, "That's why I gave you each other."
I've always believed that God cares for people through people. We need each other for our lives and our world to work. Instead of fighting over the last barrel of oil, we need to change our thinking and understand that our very survival depends on sharing it with each other.
Did you ever walk through the mall and notice someone wearing the same outfit you were? This has happened to me often. Two complete strangers for a brief moment in time stop and smile at each other. Sometimes we may even comment, "nice outfit," or "good taste in clothes," or "you look great." We laugh, and move on. Did you ever drive past someone who had the same car as you? Sometimes when this happens, people nod or beep the horn to acknowledge the coincidence. It's fun to see that someone has the same taste as you or that two strangers have something in common.
How about things we have in common globally? Wouldn't life be great if we could walk up to a total stranger and excitedly say, "Wow, you're on Earth, too? Wow, isn't this great? What a coincidence! We'll have to get together some day and be best friends." This has been the dream of many great leaders. I believe it is a possibility. Jacobsen Seminars teaches a very powerful relationship program. In this program we discuss the five basic elements required to create positive healthy relationships.
1)Open, Honest Communication - before we married, my wife Kathy and I spoke with many couples who were enjoying blissful lives together. We both believe in "modeling" successful people in order to create similar success. Every couple told us the secret to a successful marriage was open, honest communication. Communication is an art form. Whether you are relating to a mate, child, parent, brother, sister or neighbor, your communication skills are a valuable asset. I remember a story about a lady supposedly filing for divorce. The judge began to question her about the decision she had made, so that he could properly hear the case.
Judge: On what grounds do you want to appeal to your husband?
Wife: On the court grounds of course!
Judge: No, you misunderstood the question. What I mean is do you have any grounds?
Wife: Yes. My husband and I own two acres.
Judge: What I mean is, do you have a grudge?
Wife: Yes. We have a two-car garage.
Judge: No! No! No! What I mean is, does he beat you up?
Wife: No. I'm always awake before he is.
Judge: What I mean is was he unfaithful?
Wife: My husband doesn't belong to a church.
Judge: What I'm trying to find out is why you want to divorce your husband?
Wife: I don't want to divorce my husband, he wants to divorce me. He says we have a communication problem.
Although the above story is humorous, it unfortunately happens all too often. The way we communicate with each other will determine the quality of the relationship. Learn to speak to people, not at them. Speak to people in the way they like to be spoken to. When speaking with others look directly into their eyes. This is a sign that you can be trusted and it also demonstrates your high self-image. Before you speak to anyone ask yourself, "How can I say this with sincerity or with tenderness, or how can I make my point understood without creating any hard feelings?" These questions will help you to effectively touch the heart of your listener and a high quality relationship will be inevitable.
Another vital part of communication is to be a good listener. You can win more friends with your ears than with your mouth. When you give your undivided attention to another, he or she will respect you. By listening to others they know that you care and this mindset will create instant friendships. Opportunities are sometimes missed because we do not listen. Nature reminds us that our ears are designed to stay open and our mouth designed to stay closed.
2)Change Your Attitude Towards Others - the truth is that we all have different values. We must never negate someone because their value's are different from ours. Negative attitudes make it impossible to get along with ourselves and with others. This is the basic law of cause and effect! What we give out, we get back. Psychologists tell us that we always see in others what we recognize in ourselves. The world and other people are constantly reflecting back to us - all that we think about it. At the core of your being, begin to recognize the divinity in others and they will soon recognize the divinity in you. Treat all of whom you meet with respect and dignity. We need to constantly ask ourselves the following question about every thought, emotion or feeling we have, "Does this type of thinking create unity or separation?" If the answer is separation, change the thought to enhance the relationship.
Here is a popular technique that I know will help you if you are challenged by other people. The moment you sense a relationship may be threatened, or that someone is about to push your buttons, immediately ask yourself, "What would someone like Gandhi or Mother Teresa do in this situation?" After that, follow your heart.
3)Practice Forgiveness - one of the greatest acts we can perform is the act of forgiveness. This is a master key for high quality relationships. We must remember we make mistakes because we're human. You've heard the expression, "To err is human, to forgive is divine." Every time you extend forgiveness to another person you are expressing your divinity. To express this divinity, it is important that you forgive and let go on an inner level, too. To merely utter the words, "I forgive you" yet still harbor inner resentment is like burying the hatchet but leaving the handle exposed.
I recently worked with a gentleman in New York who was having a challenging relationship with his sister. Apparently, she expressed some unkind words to a lady he was dating. Upon hearing her words, the lady broke off with him and vowed to never speak with him again. Months after the break up, he verbally forgave his sister, but his heart was still angry. He was suffering with all types of psychosomatic health problems which I attributed to his hardened heart. I taught him a great psychological technique that I hope you may find beneficial. I told him to enter a meditative level and mentally speak to his sister. He was to mentally express all of his anger and mentally tell her off. After this, when he was ready, he was to mentally forgive her. He mentally repeated the affirmation, "I now let go of all the negative feelings attached to this event and the negative feelings now let go of me." He explained to me that he felt a moment of peace and serenity after this process as if a big weight lifted from his body. He immediately called his sister and forgave her again, but, this time he meant it. Shortly after this his health problems vanished and he met another lady.
Remember physiologically, when you are angry with someone you create angry, toxic body chemistry within yourself. Similarly, when you curse someone, you're actually cursing yourself and when you hate someone, you first taste the poison.
The power of forgiveness helps us to heal ourselves, allowing us to become whole. It is very difficult when someone hurts us and that is why it is sometimes difficult to forgive. Yet, once we overcome this difficulty, forgiveness strengthens the relationship making us better people. Mark Twain once gave a beautiful definition of forgiveness: "Forgiveness is the fragrance a violet leaves on the heel of the person who stepped on it." That may be the most godly definition of forgiveness I have ever heard.
4)Discover Each Other's Needs - this is a basic rule of thumb for any type of relationship. If you want a high quality relationship, find out the other person's needs and fulfill them. To terminate a relationship the opposite is true - discover the other person's needs and keep those needs unfulfilled. If you want a good relationship with your boss, meet his or her needs by producing high quality work. If you desire a good relationship with your mate or other family members, properly meet their needs with love in your heart. The most fulfilling relationships are the ones where you go to give, not where you go to take.
When you have the willingness to place another's need over your own, you are demonstrating the highest expression of selflessness and love. The more love you give the more love you will receive. When you hold sand in your hand and tightly clench your fist, all of the sand will escape from your hand. However, when you extend your hand and hold it wide open, the pile of sand will sit on your hand and you will barely lose any of it. Therefore, hold your hand out and contribute all that you can toward your relationships. As you put this rule into practice, you will soon discover that giving is receiving.
5)Do Unto Others - this is known as "The Golden Rule." Treat others exactly the way you would like them to treat you. If everyone followed this rule, our planet would become an instant paradise. We would no longer need laws, prisons or a judicial system because we would live together in harmony and in peace. This principle is taught in most of the world's major religions and is an absolute standard for harmonious relationships with others. If you want to have friends, then be a friend. If you want to be loved, then love others. The best way to have your needs met is to lovingly, without strings, meet the needs of others. If you do not want to be judged, never judge another. And if you want to be forgiven, forgive others. This is known as the "Law of Indirect Effort." Practice being the person with whom you would like to have positive relationships. This is the bridge that will help you cross over to relationship fulfillment.
I encourage you to practice and saturate your mind with these five relationship rules. Let these guidelines become an integral part of your lifestyle since these five elements create a powerful foundation for rock-solid relationships.
I wish you luck & success!
John Eric Jacobsen was born to teach and destined to be a writer & motivator. In 1985 John founded "Jacobsen Business Programs, Inc." (JacobsenPrograms.com), a corporate seminar company helping people to succeed personally and professionally.
John's experience is what sets him apart. With a diverse background in business, sales, communications, theatrical arts, dance and acting; John has the unique ability to not only be a great teacher, but also an amazing entertainer who can keep your attention. He has trained and worked with over a half a million people and has performed or taught all over America on stage and on TV.
John has also authored the national seller, "Conversations on Customer Service & Sales." This is an amazing work designed to help businesses improve their sales and enhance consumer relations. John is proud to have the great Brian Tracy as a co-author.