Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” It’s an interesting observation and gets to the idea of hyperbole. What’s the role of hyperbole in your life? Many of the things that you think of as horrible are things you have invented. You see a blemish and decide … [Read more...]
Winning Is Everything! Or Is it?
Do you argue a lot? Or correct people in conversations? Do you ever find yourself in a disagreement with your partner or someone else about something completely trivial and you just want to win? It doesn’t even have to be about anything important, and you may even ask yourself, “What the hell am I doing?!” but you’re committed to the fight. You … [Read more...]
Restoring the Passion: How to Bring Sex Back to Your Marriage
Everyone thinks their honeymoon period will never end. They hear all the talk about how lust cools over time but promise they will be different. It’s normal to assume something positive will never end. But all relationships change. Only the people involved can decide whether these changes are good or bad. When it comes to your sex life, perhaps the … [Read more...]
5 Conflict Resolution Tips for Couples
When you were young, you may have thought relationships were supposed to be "picture perfect.” You may have thought that your friends’ parents had perfect relationships or you thought you had an idea of what a positive and strong relationship looked like from TV shows and movies. In real life, relationships are more complex. … [Read more...]
What Productive Conflict Looks Like in a Healthy Relationship
Every relationship has its ups and downs. There will be plenty of times when you and your partner cannot see eye to eye. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the relationship is not going to work out. The secret to a healthy relationship is taking a break from talking if the conversation becomes heated, and coming back to it when both people are … [Read more...]
Political Opposites? How to Keep Connecting & Communicating Openly
There was a time—not too long ago—when political differences were less polarizing. When connecting with a potential friend or partner, your respective political leanings would become known. If there were a chasm, it wouldn’t necessarily derail the connection. There was more room for differing opinions. More recently, it feels as if the … [Read more...]
Financial Infidelity: What It Is & Why It’s Important to Be Financially Faithful
Most people would agree that cheating in a relationship is a dealbreaker. At the same time, at least four out of 10 married couples report that money conversations always lead to a fight. So what happens when these issues are combined? Financial infidelity is a thing. For example, 31 percent of people say they have a secret credit card. Such a lack … [Read more...]
How to Know if You Are a Codependent Partner
Popular culture does us no favors when it comes to relationships. We’re raised on “love at first sight” and “happily ever after.” This soon morphs into “soul mates” and couples “completing” each other. The sentiments might be sincere, but the outcomes can be dysfunctional. The thousands of love songs about being inseparable may have launched just … [Read more...]
How You Can Prepare Your Relationship for Empty Nest Stress
Most couples, when first married, aim a lot of attention to their relationship. Then… the kids arrive. Out of necessity and choice, the focus shifts dramatically. Children inspire and require new approaches in every aspect of your life. You and your partner will likely find yourself building your day-to-day choices around the needs of your … [Read more...]
What Does It Mean to Be Financially Intimate?
Generally, you’ll find many different types of intimacy discussed by relationship and/or psychology experts. These include affectional, intellectual, emotional, sexual, recreational, spiritual, aesthetic, and social intimacy. While all of them are important, this common list highlights how often financial issues are downplayed in terms of … [Read more...]