Bad weather isn’t just outside us; it can also be in the relationship and destroy it from the inside. Agreeing on a strategy, or a plan to deal with the bad weather helps us more quickly get on the path to the life of the relationship we want!

“I think that in couples, there are those that take the time to invest and pre plan my life, and then there are many who are flying by the seat of their pants. Sometimes the results are fabulous… sometimes they are not.”

Dealing with things as they come up is a planned-out process. How do we reduce the casualty in the fall out. Often what works in business works in relationships. You cannot wing your relationship.

Have a bigger vision of what you want your relationship to be. It helps us get back on track. Your honeymoon doesn’t last forever. Awareness of what each other is feeling, and awareness of surroundings & acting upon it in a loving way.

Gratitude is a powerful piece neurologically. When you’re in a state of gratitude, it’s impossible to be angry. It’s about being aware of the good and the bad, creating a vision about the quality of the relationship you wish to have, and developing strategies for when things are going both great, or in crises. And don’t forget to celebrate!

Drama & Conflict in Your Relationship

3 Steps for Better Feelings

D is for Defensiveness – Gottman

Where Do You Set Your Cruise Control?

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Relationship mentors are everywhere. They display examples of what others are doing on approaches we can choose to apply to, damage, or to enhance our relationships. That’s the point of creating Relationships by Design!

The sense of community is huge! One bigger than your family unit is critical. It shapes you; it gives support and adds to your life. Be really present and notice. Noticing the people around us and what they do, they model relationships for us all the time. Sit back & notice people’s interactions at a party and reflect!

So how can we eliminate the blame, so we can live without it? It’d be such an easier and better world! Take time to really appreciate. Stop to reflect & be grateful for what you have. It is hard if you’re stuck inside yourself - reframe the blame!

“I want every moment to be just so filled with love and joy. I want to be that kind of person that my grandkids want to come and be around me, my children too… That people enjoy being around me.”

There are people that brighten the room when they enter, and people that do the opposite. There’s power in reflecting back, what’s worked for you and what have been some of those challenges? What steps are you taking to commit in making a change?

Reframe Your Blame – Jay Fiset

Heart of Relationships

Vision, Mission, Values  

Conflict & Drama In Your Relationship (the Dreaded Drama

Triangle)

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Have you had a time when you attempted to engage with your partner and been unsuccessful? Do you argue or disagree about the same things repeatedly? You’re definitely not alone here!

Use invitations to invite the other person in - it’s not implied both parties are always on the same page. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Which means listening!

“In order to build healthy relationships, it takes engagement. None of us are mind readers for the other person unless we ask each other.”

 Here’s a great exercise - be open to what your partner is saying, have a neutral look and be engaged, yet not say a word during that agreed upon time frame. Then switch! There’s great value there! It’s so important to repair than to put the issue to the side and never deal with it. If we keep hiding it, it’ll eventually come out in a way we probably don’t want it to. Setting aside time to listen is so important in repair.

 It’s a continual and consistent process!

The Two Gottman Ideas You Should Be Talking About - Gottman

Drama & Conflict In Your Relationship?

Gratitude Rituals

My Partner Refuses To Argue – How Can We Talk About The Big Stuff?

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Not getting results that you want in your relationship? How do you make changes and guarantee a more enjoyable future? Join us to give change a chance!

It’s tough to change. The comfort of the known is convenient, it’s the familiar zone! How do we consciously and intentionally make changes to self to get the changes that we want, both individually and together?

“I can only make changes to myself, you can only make changes to yourself, yet by us being a good support system to each other we can be a good support system for each other for the changes we’re making.”

This takes a level of honesty and communication. Where are we going? What will our lives be ten, twenty, thirty years from now look like with that destination in mind? For some couples, it’s hard to look ten years off, and it takes some real intentionality to reflect on this.

 Through the process, don’t forget to celebrate the small things! Look at how much change has happened perhaps this week, month, or year… look at where we are now. Give change a chance!

The whole point of change is to improve and create different experiences that we’d like to have more of. It’s about the quality of life, and to believe that it will really be different. It takes a level of consciousness to be open, but if we are conscious and intentional, it will change in the way we want to and are open too. We’re changing our future history.

Dr. Brené Brown – When you are blaming, you are not learning

Drama & Conflict In Your Relationship

1 Choice That Changes Everything In Your Marriage

Dr. Brené Brown – When you are blaming, you are not learning

Drama & Conflict In Your Relationship

1 Choice That Changes Everything In Your Marriage

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As individuals, we each have strength. In a relationship, our individual strengths need to be consciously utilized together. And with some strong communication and trust it can go a long way!

“Each one of us has incredible strengths, and yet we may not be strong in the same area and to figure out how we can utilize each person’s strengths in each situation.”

Trust is a powerful thing. We’re all there in support of one another and take lead at different times. Nobody is less than the other, it’s about having a huge appreciation for other people’s strengths and being okay with that! It’s okay to be vulnerable and to ask for help and support from the people that are close to you! The willingness to ask and receive goes both ways.

Build a trust at home and then expand it out to kids, friends, and outside community. The power between the two of you is critical to work out first, and requires some conscious work. If you start from the outside looking in, it likely feels daunting. And yet when you start from my circle of influence, where you have control… it looks doable!

Be conscious and joyful, have appreciation. That glows and affects everyone around us as well!

Heart of Relationships – The Bigger Impact

The Power Between

Gratitude Rituals

Gratitude & Appreciation

Burn Your Romance Novels & Regnite Real Romance – Dr. Cheryl Fraser

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Accountability is not so easy, and perhaps downright impossible! How do we hold each other to a level of love, patience, and respect in these situations?

If you’re coming in at the same level, then communication is effective. If someone is at a different perceived level, then it could feel like one person is at a place of power or authority, and the other one is a child... or incapable. Be respectful in accountability, don’t shoot them down or shame them. Small things often cause conflict in relationships – let's clarify expectations!

“It all boils down to good ole communication, doesn’t it?”

Accountability really is the ultimate empowerment tool. Create agreements and commitments that make you both feel good in the situation. Commit to the time to talk about things with open, honest conversations. Imagine the joy, fun, love, success and accomplishments when we hold ourselves accountable and have fun with it!

Accountability In Your Relationship Is Critical

Accountability In Speech

Emotional Awareness: A Life-changer

Creating A Culture Of Accountability Not Blame – Michael Timms

How I Stopped Trying To Control My Partner – Gottman Institute

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Have you considered your life being similar to a jigsaw puzzle? The only exception being you don’t know how the final picture looks - you get to create it. Let’s enjoy the process!

With a jigsaw puzzle, there are definite boundaries and then there are pieces that are pretending sometimes. In your own life, there’s times where you may think you know where your boundaries are but might not always be clear.

“In a jigsaw puzzle sometimes, I’ll put a piece in one spot then later go back and say, no it can’t fit there, this one must go here instead. In my life, the same thing happens – things need to change and shift a little!”

Beliefs also change. As you become more aware, you get to process them too. Then you can find the edge pieces and create those boundaries as well! What will you and will you not accept? It can create conflict within yourself and others if you’re not clear. You can get hard on yourself. Become aware and conscious of your feelings. Paint your own picture, but also bring your partner into that as well in discussion.

Be curious and know the next piece will show up! This can allow you to be judgmental as well. Reflect on your puzzle and the pieces in it! It’s probably a solid picture. Focus on right now, consciously choosing the pieces.

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What impact do you have on the world? And more importantly - what impact would you like to have? It all seems so daunting!

As a first responder, you must look after yourself first before you can reach out and help anyone else out. You put your own oxygen mask on first before serving others. Because if you are not healthy then you have no ability, really, to be a true value to help in relationship with others. It’s so rewarding to be on the same page supporting each other, valuing each other, being on the same team!

You have an impact on your entire extended family, whether you live under the same roof or not. The mom & dad are hugely influential in teaching the kids how to treat relationships in the future... their partners. Its important to start now, you can’t change the past.

“We truly could make a difference in the world if we started with ourselves. And then our home relationship, our work, our world, our society.”

What can you do right now in your own little circle of influence to make it a little bit better? It’s all about attention, intention, building my energy and building the best that you can be for your family, your community. What a big impact that can be when we all focus on that!

Heart of Relationships previous podcast – the basics

Building community – Rituals

Leadership – at Work and at Home

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