The Heart of Relationship
A romantic relationship can be an inspirational place in which to reside. Sharing special moments with one’s mate, feeling cradled in love and valued for who you are can be such an uplifting experience, but being vulnerable with someone else can be challenging as well. You may have entered a relationship in good faith and now have questions about the choices you are making. You are not alone. Many couples fall into routines and patterns that shift what used to be passionate, exciting and romantic moments into a humdrum existence, leaving you wondering what happened to the days of waking up on a sunshiny day to birds chirping and the glorious aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air as your mate brings you breakfast in bed.
If you are reading this, clearly your relationship is important to you. Whether your relationship is a relatively new one or you are simply contemplating the possibility of entering into this life zone, you may be experiencing some uncertainty or nervousness, which is quite common. The good news is that everyone can benefit from some key strategies imparted in coaching. Coaching creates a safe space in which to get crystal clear on your goals in relationship, learn in a fun and supportive atmosphere, brainstorm ideas, and practice the strategies. Activating yourself in this manner can have profound beneficial effects on both you and your partner. Cultivating, deepening, and maintaining a nurturing and loving relationship starts with your personal expansion and growth. When you connect to your deeper truth, to your values, and have emotions aligned with your goals, it leads to a more satisfying experience and can even have ripple effects on your most treasured relationships.
I invite you to invest in yourself and in coaching where you will learn to activate small steps to help you create your relationship bliss and to navigate any challenges you might face more skillfully.
The Power of Love
Love is one of the most profound emotions. There are many ways to view romantic relationships and love. As world religions espouse many beliefs let’s take a quick tour from a more sacred and spiritual perspective:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” -1 Corinthians 13:4-5
“It is also stated that true love for other humans occurs when people see the beauty of God in other people’s souls.” -Tablets of Abdul-Baha Abbas
“The central value in human life, which we may term "true love," means that which seeks the best for others and the betterment of human life in all its dimensions. True love means living for others, giving without thought of a return. Its source is transcendental, beyond the self; the person who practices true love taps into an inexhaustible reservoir of life. The various philosophies and religions of the world speak of this value with a variety of emphases, aspects, and concepts, such as: compassion, grace, justice, charity, liberation, righteousness, and agape love.”
-Mapping Knowledge: The Unification Encyclopedia Project, Dr. Andrew Wilson
“And one of His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find comfort in them. And He has placed between you compassion and mercy. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.” – The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab “Love is universal. Love is giving respect to all life. Love is gives bliss, not only in happy times but also in those moments of trials and tribulations. True love is strength. True love is never selfish, it is giving and kind.” - https://teachingsofthebuddha.com/
“This is a very positive and powerful tool in the Sikhs arsenal of virtues. When one's mind is full of love, the person will overlook deficiency in others and accept them wholeheartedly as a product of God. Sikhism asks all believers to take on "god-like" virtues and this perhaps is the most "god-like" characteristic of all. Gurbani tells us that Waheguru is a "loving God", full of compassion and kindness. It is the duty of the Sikh to take on qualities of this nature and to easily forgive; to never hate anyone; to live in His Hukam - "Will" and to practise compassion and humility.” - Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Translation
The idea of being a soul mate can lead people to have certain expectations for perfection in relationships. Glamorized by the big screen, people may think romantic relationships are easy.
Beliefs aside, the ability to enjoy success and commitment in your relationship is absolutely possible! In the article “Marriage and the Spiritual Realm” Professor of psychology Annette Mahoney and associates’ measured what they called “relationship sanctification”, finding that perceptions of sanctity /sacredness were associated with positive relationship outcomes, including greater marital satisfaction. Some writings suggest prayer and shared sacred beliefs about relationship can increase commitment in partners. Simple keys to lasting and happy marriages/relationships exist. It’s a matter of consistently taking specific fantastic actions.
Whether you are single, coupled, or divorced contemplating a relationship or wanting to ignite a spark to an existing one, Life Strategies Coaching Inc. can teach you strategies for a happy and resilient marriage/relationship. The need for human romantic connection is real and is a source of deep relationship fulfillment. You can hope for your bond to be strengthened, but in the words of Jane Goodall: “Without action or engagement, hope is just wishful thinking."
Be the source of love, kindness, and compassion and delight in a bright and flourishing relationship.
To your relationship success!
Standing On My Own Two Feet
She stood at the window, tears streaming down her cheeks, barely able to see the life unfolding before her that bright sky day. Let me tell you a story about Tatiana, a fortysomething woman, in what normally should have been the prime of her life.
Tatiana was a delightful woman, smart, caring and generous, who grew up in a nuclear family with great role models. She loved getting together with them, as well as with her devoted circle of friends. A talented singer, she was not only engaging and creative, but Tatiana was also deeply spiritual and loved the outdoors.
She met her former husband in a fairy tale like way. He was an up and coming lawyer, which yielded him perks in his firm such as access to private clubs, lodges, boxes at sporting events, trips, and so on. It was not uncommon while Tatiana and Marco were courting for him to whisk her away to New York for dinner and then to see a play on Broadway or to a chalet at Whistler for a weekend of skiing and cozy hot tubbing. Marco seemed generous, fun loving, intelligent, and successful.
One starry night while dining alfresco, Marco proposed to Tatiana and she excitedly accepted. The two were married and celebrated in grand style. It was a magical start to their lives together. Before long, their first child was on its way. Marco insisted on Tatiana giving up her career to stay home with their baby and focus on child rearing. Tatiana happily complied. Then came child number two.
Marco was involved with the children at first, but after a time, his interest in his family waned. Time spent at work increased exponentially as he was being groomed to become a partner in the firm. This imbalance created friction and a disconnection between himself and Tatiana. Marco grew distant and Tatiana felt unloved. The kids were relatively okay, but wondered why daddy was not home much.
Marco started sleeping away from home and this served to widen the divide in the couple. Tatiana suspected Marco was having an affair, which proved to be true. Heartbroken, she initially blamed herself, thinking if only she had been more supportive, lost those extra pounds after childbirth, and better masked her discontentment, their marriage would have been fine. The couple separated and eventually divorced.
While Tatiana returned to the workforce and was surviving with the kids, she started to mistrust her judgment about people and in some cases, her abilities. Marco's visits with the kids were infrequent and this led to some heated arguments. Tatiana was lost and angry. She felt like a failure, unloved, and taken for granted. She grew somewhat reclusive, afraid of anyone seeing her vulnerability, and she felt ashamed of her failed marriage. So much emotional turbulence left Tatiana feeling exhausted.
Fortunately, a good friend recognized the pain Tatiana was suffering and shared how coaching helped her through her own difficult personal and relationship challenges. The friend explained how she was able to not only heal, but to build resilience, and positively shift her emotional state. With her coach’s personalized assistance, she regained lost energy and increased her confidence, and was ready and able to set healthy boundaries, as well as connect with her more empowered self. Her improved abilities enabled her to focus more intentionally and dynamically energize her chi flow. She learned about bringing in creativity to change perspective and strategies to boost intuition.
Tatiana mulled over what her friend had recommended. She felt an inner calling to usher in something new, not only for herself, but also for her kids. It was a time to put the past behind her and to activate her power! She decided nothing in her life would change unless she took some initiative, even a small step. She dared greatly and signed up for a coaching package that taught her to bring back a positive sense of self worth, strength, an ability to set boundaries and manage emotions in a healthy manner. It also served to restore her trust in herself, find joy, and inspire a drive to successfully follow her dreams.
If any of this resonates with you, contact Life Strategies Coaching to continue or get started on your best life!