Tweet
African proverb states: "Before you get married keep both eyes open and after you marry close one eye."
Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults isn't really important.
Once you decide to commit to someone, over time his or her flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious.
If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you. You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. You are two unique individuals who have decided to share a life together. Neither of you are prefect but are you perfect for each other? Do you bring out the best of each other? Do you compliment and compromise with each other or do you compete, compare and control? What do you bring to the relationship? Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?
You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her. You can't make someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment and "a life" you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain. Manipulation, control jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving, health, loving and lasting relationship.
Seeking status, sex, wealth and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship.
What keeps a relationship strong? Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or children and daily exchange (a meal, a shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch a note). Leave a nice message on their voicemail or send a nice email. Sharing common goals and interest.
Growth is important. Grow together not away from each other giving each other space to grow without feeling insecure. Allow your mate to have outside interest. You can't always be together. Give each other a sense of belonging and assurances of commitment. Don't try to control one another. Learn each other's family situation. Respect his or her parents regardless. Don't put pressure on each other for material goods. Remember for richer or poorer. If these qualities are missing the relationship will erode as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty and pain replace the passion.
Rev. Ronald McFadden
Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults isn't really important.
Once you decide to commit to someone, over time his or her flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious.
If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you. You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. You are two unique individuals who have decided to share a life together. Neither of you are prefect but are you perfect for each other? Do you bring out the best of each other? Do you compliment and compromise with each other or do you compete, compare and control? What do you bring to the relationship? Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?
You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her. You can't make someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment and "a life" you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain. Manipulation, control jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving, health, loving and lasting relationship.
Seeking status, sex, wealth and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship.
What keeps a relationship strong? Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or children and daily exchange (a meal, a shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch a note). Leave a nice message on their voicemail or send a nice email. Sharing common goals and interest.
Growth is important. Grow together not away from each other giving each other space to grow without feeling insecure. Allow your mate to have outside interest. You can't always be together. Give each other a sense of belonging and assurances of commitment. Don't try to control one another. Learn each other's family situation. Respect his or her parents regardless. Don't put pressure on each other for material goods. Remember for richer or poorer. If these qualities are missing the relationship will erode as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty and pain replace the passion.
Rev. Ronald McFadden
Comment