Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Be generous in your relationship

An aunt of mine once said to beware of a partner who is stingy with money in your relationship, because he/she will be stingy with their love as well. Being generous, however, applies to all areas of a relationship, including things like time and effort.

When a relationship is new and things are finding their balance, it is important not to overdo one’s generosity, as this will more than likely scare off one’s partner. Men in particular find a women who is over the top in this area, very scary, especially when a relationship is new. Women are by nature nurturers and it is very natural for them to give all they can, but this is not advisable in a new relationship. At this stage, a man usually enjoys pursuing a woman, and likes to perceive the woman as a challenge. A woman will completely take the wind out of his sails if she smothers him with attention at this stage. However, as things progress, a healthy give and take by both partners is desirable.

As time goes by and trust develops, a man likes it when the woman takes the initiative and makes him feel appreciated. Then both partners usually enjoy it when the other person gives them lots of time and attention. In particular, a man enjoys it when the woman is generous in giving him space. One can also be generous in affording one’s partner privacy. This kind of respect should be mutual. In a relationship like this there is an aura of abundance. Both partners have abundance mentalities and there is a great deal of freedom afforded to each person.

One can also be abundant in honesty. This type of generosity is usually much appreciated, as everyone wants a partner who is trustworthy and consistent in their approach to life.

One can be generous in one’s appreciation of one’s partner. It is nice when someone notices the things you do for them, however small, and thanks you from their heart. This kind of appreciation usually has a snowball effect of your partner wanting to do even more for you, and so the relationship goes in an upward spiral of getting better and better as time goes by. One has cultivated good habits and if one keeps them up, this type of relationship then does not require a lot of work.

Don’t: Expect your partner to do all the work in your relationship.

Do: Operate from an abundance mentality in your relationship, and things are likely to go your way.

© 2009 Marilyn Welch

Visit my website to meet a variety of quality partners amongst whom you may find your soulmate!

Would you like to use this article? You may if you include the following paragraph with the article: Marilyn Welch is the owner of Perfect Strangers Professional Dating Service and a sought after Relationship Coach specialising in social skills. You can read more of her articles at www.perfectstrangersdating.blogspot.com and download her Free Special Report “Three Ways to Finding the Soulmate of Your Dreams” by going to her website, www.perfectstrangers.co.za and sending her your details.

You are welcome to email Marilyn Welch at info@perfectstrangers.co.za.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Create space in your relationship

Today I am going to focus on creating space for each other in your relationship. I am reminded of when I was married to my second husband, Bryan, and how happy we were. He gave me all the space I could possibly have desired, and you know what? I just simply didn’t want to go anywhere! If he had cramped my space, you can be sure I would have found all sorts of things I wanted to get up to. And I afforded him the same space. He never abused his freedom, always told me where he was going and always phoned if he was going to be late. And I was happy to let him do as he pleased. It was such a free arrangement that we had. I would wish this for any relationship.

Underlying the giving of space is an aura of trust. If one does not trust one’s partner, one is reluctant to give him/her the luxury of some space. Trust stems from a healthy self-respect and self-liking. You must trust yourself and have faith in your own integrity before you can trust someone else. With this attitude, you like to treat your partner the way you yourself want to be treated. You should offer your trust first, expecting it to be honoured. Only if this trust is broken do you need to reassess the situation.

How do we behave when we know we are trusted? We put our best foot forward, not wanting to disappoint our partner. We want him/her to know that this is the way we want to be treated and that we deserve this trust. This kind of attitude inspires loyalty, which in turn creates greater trust, and so the spiral goes upward. And the more trust there is, the more space we are prepared to give our partner and the more freedom we both have.

Needy, clingy people find it difficult to give their partners space. They need reassurance every step of the way and do not enjoy their own company. They tend to want to control their partner as they think this will make them feel more secure. What does this type of behaviour inspire in your partner? They want to get away from you and need even more space than what they normally would have wanted. The tight rein you try to harness them with just makes them want to rebel and so the spiral goes downward.

It is important to be emotionally independent in order not to be needy. Your emotional wholeness will go a long way towards ensuring a happy partnership.

Don’t: Hold on to your partner in an effort to make him/her stay with you.

Do: Give your partner the freedom they deserve. They will love you for it and always want to return to you.

© 2009 Marilyn Welch

Visit my website to meet a variety of quality partners amongst whom you may find your soulmate!

Would you like to use this article? You may if you include the following paragraph with the article: Marilyn Welch is the owner of Perfect Strangers Professional Dating Service and a sought after Relationship Coach specialising in social skills. You can read more of her articles at www.perfectstrangersdating.blogspot.com and download her Free Special Report “Three Ways to Finding the Soulmate of Your Dreams” by going to her website, www.perfectstrangers.co.za and sending her your details.

You are welcome to email Marilyn Welch at info@perfectstrangers.co.za.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Give and take in a relationship

There is something that is very vital that must be present in a romantic relationship for it to prosper, and that is that there must be more or less equal give and take in the relationship. We all know of relationships where one party seems to be doing all the giving, and it becomes very hard for that person over time. So hard, that after a while it just does not seem worth it any more.

Why do some people give so much and others just take? If we look into the cause for this, it gives us some clues. Someone who gives more than they receive often has some kind of inferiority complex, and believes that of themselves they are not enough to sustain their partner’s interest. They feel their partner is in some way(s) superior to them, and they must compensate by working harder at the relationship. They attribute values to their partner that they believe they themselves do not have, not realising that they probably have those same values, just manifesting in different ways. If you spot it, you’ve got it, i.e. if you recognise some or other characteristic in your partner, you are able to see it because you have that same characteristic and it is in your frame of reference. By not recognising your own good qualities, you feel you are not good enough and give away your power to your partner, and so the cycle starts of doing more for the relationship than your partner in order to keep the relationship going. This is an unhealthy scenario.

The person who takes more than their partner often does so unconsciously, not even realising the sacrifices the other is making. When this kind of pattern is allowed to develop, the taker often takes for granted what his/her partner is doing and is not given a chance to do some of the giving. The taker is robbed of a chance to contribute equally and often starts to lose interest. The taker then does not see the giver as a person of equal status, with the same power as he/she has. The taker sees other people outside the relationship as having more power and more magnetic attraction. The giver ends up with feelings of jealousy and insecurity. As time goes on, the relationship becomes more and more unhealthy.

These are some of the scenarios that underlie problems in giving and taking. It is much better if both parties can recognise their own power from the start and not be sucked into unhealthy behavioural patterns. Each partner should have a healthy self-respect and self-liking for a relationship to get off to a good start. Do not allow your partner to give or take more than you do, and the relationship is more likely to be on a good footing.

Don’t: Attribute superiority to your partner

Do: Recognise your own good qualities and keep your relationship on an equal footing

© 2009 Marilyn Welch

Visit my website to meet a variety of quality partners amongst whom you may find your soulmate!

Would you like to use this article? You may if you include the following paragraph with the article: Marilyn Welch is the owner of Perfect Strangers Professional Dating Service and a sought after Relationship Coach specialising in social skills. You can read more of her articles at www.perfectstrangersdating.blogspot.com and download her Free Special Report “Three Ways to Finding the Soulmate of Your Dreams” by going to her website, www.perfectstrangers.co.za and sending her your details.

You are welcome to email Marilyn Welch at info@perfectstrangers.co.za.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The importance of romance in a relationship

I am often asked the question: “Who is the most romantic when it comes to relationships, men or women?” The answer is a little more complicated than one would think.

Women often set the scene with candlelit dinners, setting the atmosphere for a wonderful evening at home, whereas men often feel that they are the planners, planning dates at various romantic venues. Both sexes can be good at the giving of romantic gifts like flowers and chocolates etc.

Over time, I have come to the conclusion that the one who is more passionate and committed in a relationship will be the more romantic one. It is this particular partner who is more dedicated to the relationship, who will invest more in the relationship to keep it going, who will actively plan to keep romance alive.

Romance is a vitally important element in a relationship between a man and a woman. It is the aura of romance that will set a relationship apart from other relationships and make it special. We can all be friends with anyone, but we normally only have room for one person when it comes to romance.

And romance can be a time and energy consuming thing. It takes time and energy to plan special dates and outings, and buy suitable gifts for whatever occasion. Romance can also be a commitment of our energies to making our partner happy, whatever that may take.

Married people should especially be on their guard when it comes to romance. Too often one becomes so accustomed to one’s partner that before one knows it romance has flown out the window. Children come along, work commitments take one’s time away from one’s partner, and all too soon romance can be a thing of the past. Married people need to actively work on the romantic element in their relationship to keep it special. One actually needs to make romance a habit. Start when your relationship is new and it is very easy, and then keep up those habits for a lifetime. It will be well worth the effort. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to look back on a lifetime of romance with one’s partner, rather than one of drudgery?

Don’t: Think and act as if romance is not important in your relationship.

Do: Make it a habit to plan for romance in your relationship – it will be well worth your time and effort.

© 2009 Marilyn Welch

Visit my website to meet a variety of quality partners amongst whom you may find your soulmate!

Would you like to use this article? You may if you include the following paragraph with the article: Marilyn Welch is the owner of Perfect Strangers Professional Dating Service and a sought after Relationship Coach specialising in social skills. You can read more of her articles at www.perfectstrangersdating.blogspot.com and download her Free Special Report “Three Ways to Finding the Soulmate of Your Dreams” by going to her website, www.perfectstrangers.co.za and sending her your details.

You are welcome to email Marilyn Welch at info@perfectstrangers.co.za.