Communicate Better, Create an Atmosphere of Cooperation, and Celebrate Your Life
I created this blog specifically for people who want a better relationship with themselves, their partner, friends, children, and/or co-workers.
I invite your to become informed, inspired, and involved as you strive to build strong, loving relationships.
"Oh, 'tis love, 'tis love, that makes the world go round!" said the Duchess in Alice in Wonderland. So long as we have ears to hear and eyes to see, so long will love lead the rhythm of the world.
February 14 is Valentine's Day and, with that in mind, I want to encourage you to love well and often. Studies have shown that people who are happily married are healthier and live longer than than those who are unhappily married. A study done by Lois Verburgge and James House of the University of Michigan determined "that an unhappy marriage can increase your chance for getting sick by roughly 35% and even shorten your life by an average of four years."
So what makes a happy marriage? The key seems to be a deep, abiding friendship of good quality. Believing that one's partner wants the best for us, as well as for themselves, somehow can give us the hope to move beyond the difficulties of the moment. Friendship within marriage requires many skills, but there are two that are essential for a healthy marriage. The first, according to John Gottman, co-director of the Seattle Marriage and Family Institute, is that there must be a generally positive atmosphere in the marriage in both nonconflict and conflict situations. The second is that couples who are good friends can reduce the emotional fallout from their conflicts by accepting each others feelings without judgment or criticism.
When marriage works, it works because conflict is faced and worked through, and feelings are expressed an understood. Happy couples trust both each other and their relationship enough not to back away from the feelings that come with conflict, while continuing to respect each other throughout the duration of the conflict.
I have helped couples in all stages of life to improve their relationships and their lives. Whether you are working on issues in a new relationship, or looking to revive the spark in an established one, I can help you build a relationship that brings joy to your life and those in it.
I invite you to visit my website at http://harriettelowenstein.marriage-family.com and sign up to receive my FREE newsletter, Success Strategies For Living Your Life ON Purpose. Every issue offers insights into how to develop a stronger relationship, and live a life of purpose and joy.
Great article because you weave relevant information along with the ways you can help in these areas. Nice, clean layout and beautiful photo.
Good luck!
Merlyn (fellow multiple streamer)
Posted by: Merlyn Sanchez | February 07, 2007 at 09:06 PM