Growing in Love: Keeping a Relationship Happy

Here on the blog I’ve written about divorce, but I have yet to talk about what came next for me. I am working on a series of posts about separation, divorce, single motherhood, starting over, and transitioning to a blended family. Based on those topics, you can tell that it has been an “interesting” few years for me, laced with pain, learning, healing, and growth. The most important lesson that I have taken away from it all is that you need to be happy with yourself before you can be happy with another person. It sounds trite and we’ve all heard it before, but when you’ve gone through it, you learn that it is not just a catch phrase, it is the absolute truth.

If you follow me on social media, then you’ve read about my new partner, but I am excited to share some of this new adventure here, too. And, I am especially happy to share these beautiful photographs taken by my sweet and talented friend, Erin. I will get into some deeper stuff in future posts. Today, I want to take a lighter approach and talk about some of the fun ways that I’ve learned to keep a relationship healthy with your partner found in dating sites christians.

Life has a way of getting in the way when it comes to relationships. In the beginning, there is so much love and excitement, but add kids, a career, and a house to the mix, and things can fall apart quickly. Suddenly, it feels as though there is no time for love. You spend less and less quality time together, you begin growing apart, arguments arise about trivial things, and before you know it, you’re questioning the future of your relationship.

Though no relationship is perfect, many long-term relationships end simply because both parties forget just how much work it takes to keep things together. They often lose themselves to providing and caring for their families and essentially forget why they fell in love in the first place.

The truth is, if you want to keep your relationship together, you have to be willing to work at it daily. If the two of you decide to continually choose each other and prioritize your relationship needs, you can sustain a happy and healthy relationship. Below, are some suggestions on how to do this.

Schedule Time to Talk
Communication is key. Daily responsibilities and routines can take up a great deal of your time, but communication within your relationships is of the utmost importance. If you find that you’re not talking much, pencil time in your day to do so. You can both wake up a few minutes earlier than the kids and have a conversation over a cup of coffee or you can talk just before you turn in for bed. For heavier conversations, schedule some time on the weekend to talk on a scenic drive or a walk outside.

Plan Date Nights
The monotony of a relationship can put distance between any couple. Life can’t always be spontaneous, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have a good time. Start scheduling date nights a couple times a month. Do things that you both enjoy and avoid stressful topics like money, home, the kids, or work in conversation while you’re out. Just spend time enjoying each other’s company.

Flirt with Each Other
When you were dating chances are you gave each other compliments all the time. These words made your heart sing. Even after being together for years, hearing your partner tell you how attractive you are or how much they want you in a flirtatious way does wonders for your self-esteem and the relationship. So whether you flirt in person, send them a cute text message, or leave cute little notes for them to find around the house, just let your partner know how desirable you still find them.

Give Each Other Gifts from the Heart
For people that speak the love language of gift-giving, receiving a present from their partner out of the blue makes them feel special. There’s nothing wrong with splurging on your loved one on occasion. Especially if you know it’s something they will really appreciate. You can make something from the heart like a painting, sculpture, or scarf, or you can buy them something nice like a necklace, watch, or ring from Diamonds Forever San Diego. You don’t have to break the bank to let your partner know you were thinking of them.

Vacation Together
When is the last time you and your partner went on a nice vacation just the two of you? If it’s been a while, perhaps it’s time to plan a little romantic getaway. Even leaving town for the weekend can really help to strengthen your relationship and improve your happiness. Don’t let your budget keep you from getting away from it all to refocus on each other for a bit. You can get a nice hotel a few miles away from home and spend the time together ordering room service and binge-watching your favorite movies or you can plan a week-long trip to a tropical destination and lounge around the beach, go for a hike, and enjoy fancy restaurants.

Love is the greatest and most beautiful gift that we are given in life. It isn’t always easy, but it is so worth it. Next to prioritizing your own wellness, investing time in keeping your relationship happy and healthy is the best thing that you can do for your family. Everyone will benefit from the overflow of love that is created when you put in the effort and choose each other every day.

Thank you to the talented Erin Galardi of Ruffles and Trains Photography for the gorgeous photographs in this post.

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    Are You Oblivious, Aware, or Getting It?

    This is a guest post from my friend, Andy Feld.

    ———–

    As I travel and meet new people all over our country, it seems most everyone falls into one of the three areas mentioned in this month’s title. What am I talking about? It’s the societal evolutionary change which is now in progress, although admittedly sometimes imperceptible. It is easy to see that violence rarely leads to anything but more violence. Overt materialism, absent integrity, brings happiness and abundance to very few. Additionally, centuries of male dominated insensitive energy added to a populace unwilling to take responsibility has us at a precarious tipping point.

    So, do you sense what I say is true? Are you oblivious to these changes in the air, or are you ahead of the curve and already taking the steps necessary to not only survive, but thrive in the years to come? Frankly, I am often greeted by individuals with long faces who tell me they will be happy again when things get back to ‘normal’. Normal for many means simply getting back to a life dominated by financial gain and the purchase of new things, but those days may be long gone. Banks are not lending money, our population is increasingly unemployed or aging and dependent, houses are not selling, there seems to be an oversupply of everything and worldwide competition is greater than ever. What if today is the way things will be for the next 20-30 years or longer? What are you going to do to be happy, prosperous, and emotionally abundant?

    Make no mistake, everything is changing and just about everyone is affected. Personally, my income does not approach what I once earned as a corporate CEO, my car is not as new and shiny as it once may have been, and I visit fewer restaurants, but my life has never been more pleasant. Would you agree that now is the time to not only re-evaluate, but also re-create our lives? If so, you are GETTING IT loud and clear, but if not, let’s look into what we can do about it.

    1. We are all One, connected with a common thread of spirit. When I say WE, I mean ALL humans, animals, plant life, earth, and stars. We all are of the same source energy, and understanding and respecting this Oneness is a key to thriving in our new age. Allowing all else to be, with love and respect, and without judgment of unique individual differences will open our portals to Universal Light. One cannot mistreat another human, the earth, our vegetation, and the animals without also mistreating oneself. We are all connected and what we put forth to others is what will always come back to us.

    2. Listen to our heart, our Inner Radar as I call it in my books, without the fear of judgment from others. We are all unique and different, and learning to reach within and hear that guidance we all individually brought forth to this lifetime allows us to grow and prosper in alignment with our life’s purpose. There is no better way to accomplish this than a regular practice of meditation and contemplation.

    3. Understanding the process for manifesting our life’s dreams. It takes quite a bit of practice and self-discipline, and you may be getting tired of hearing me speak about it, but we are the product of our thoughts, emotions, words, and actions. Very little we desire will manifest without the alignment of these four elements. Believe in this, practice and have faith and you will embrace your life like never before.

    4. Learn to appreciate all that you have. From hot running water, to clothes in your closet, and food in the refrigerator, most of us have so much to be thankful for yet rarely acknowledge. The beauty of nature, our relationships, our health and the list should go on and on. Write it down and truly rejoice in how many ways you are blessed.

    5. Diligently work on balancing your male and female attributes. We are all a combination of both masculine and feminine, and the more we keep these two in balance the more we vibrate with the earth.

    Yes, everything is changing. First, become aware and then jump on board, but it will always be the choice of the individual. No one, other than you is responsible for your rescue.

    Whether it is a business, an organization, or individual, the time for changing the status quo in right now. How to go about it in this new environment is what I speak about and teach. I would love the opportunity to work with you or your group.

    With much love and appreciation,
    Andy

    ———-

    Andy lives in Morrison, Colorado outside Denver. He travels the country as a frequent speaker on life inspiration and business sales. He is also a regular guest on radio programs across the United States and on local TV.

    You can read more about Andy at his website, Simple Happy, and you can find his books on Amazon at the following links.

2 Comments

  1. Beautiful and inspiring, and yes tears are falling silently down my cheeks at my desk while eating my hummus and crackers….the good tears, ya know.

    Reply

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