How do you relate with your spouse?
Build a “Best friends” culture. In friendship there is trust, openness and a sense of security that allows us to share our anxieties, failures, potentials, and dreams. Work on your friendship and watch your relationship thrive. PHOTO | NATION
What you need to know:
- Spouses who commit to setting boundaries together have deeper understanding. The aim of setting boundaries is not to restrict or trap, rather, to encourage responsible behaviour, accountability, and security within the relationship.
- an we respect each other’s privacy and still not entertain secrets? Suppose your wife’s cell phone rings while she’s in the shower, should you answer it? Would you think twice before you pick it?
- Build a “Best friends” culture. There is a way friends treat each other. The value we place on a friendship determines the level of sacrifice we are willing to make and the level of risk we are willing to take for our friends.
We live in a world that is becoming more and more selfish and individualistic. The big question is whether people can still be truly caring and supportive of their partner. No one is perfect, and even though you cannot change your partner, you can make changes that accommodate him or her.
Create boundaries that protect your relationship: Setting boundaries is important in a relationship. When you know your partner’s wants, likes, dislikes, goals, fears and limits, it helps you know how to relate to them better. Spouses who commit to setting boundaries together have deeper understanding. The aim of setting boundaries is not to restrict or trap, rather, to encourage responsible behaviour, accountability, and security within the relationship.
Over communication is better than no communication at all: Each spouse should learn to speak their mind freely and unhindered. Saying what you feel gets rid of ambiguity and assumption. An environment characterised by limited disclosure fosters suspicion and mistrust.
Respect each other’s privacy: Can we respect each other’s privacy and still not entertain secrets? Suppose your wife’s cell phone rings while she’s in the shower, should you answer it? Would you think twice before you pick it? What if you caught her going through your brief case? For many couples, these are uncomfortable scenarios to be in. If you asked me though, this need not be the case. A healthy relationship should be one where each person feels comfortable enough to touch each other’s stuff without feeling anxious.
A healthy relationship is one where I am free to find out whatever I need to know about my spouse without having to use unorthodox means to get the information.
Cultivate a relationship based on mutual sacrifice: Build a “Best friends” culture. There is a way friends treat each other. The value we place on a friendship determines the level of sacrifice we are willing to make and the level of risk we are willing to take for our friends. In friendship there is trust, openness and a sense of security that allows us to share our anxieties, failures, potentials, and dreams. Work on your friendship and watch your relationship thrive.
