Know Yourself

Hi. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Knowing yourself. Knowing what you want!

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Let's Stay Together, by Al Green.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

Relationships, even exceptional ones, are sometimes difficult. They go through good times and bad. Sometimes, almost effortlessly, things go so well between you and your significant other that it seems you're one person. And you think, jackpot, I've found my soulmate! This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. And then, over time, things change. And you wonder what you ever saw in this person. What made you think you could make a life with them?

It's at this point relationships with weak communication break down. When neither of you can find a bridge across whatever divides you. And the fragile foundation you've built cannot support your remaining together. However, relationships with effective communication and a sound foundation can weather moments of miscommunication, doubts, and minor arguments. And they usually do.

So, how do we build a strong relationship? Or, assuming we want to; strengthen a relationship that is weak?

Well, first, they're not the same thing. Building a strong relationship is like building a new house. When carefully thought out, it will be precisely what you want. However, strengthening a weak relationship is like renovating an established house. Changing things. Making major adjustments. Difficult, but not impossible.

Building a strong relationship starts long before a relationship begins. It starts when you know who you are. What you stand for. And have established principles. Solid principles that you live by no matter what! Strong relationships result from empowering yourself and taking control of your life. And recognizing that no matter the stimuli, the final decision to do or not do is yours. And that regardless of the consequences, you never relinquish the power to say yes or no.

When you haven't established who you are, what you stand for, and live in the moment without established principles to live by, like a bottle floating in a river, you're doing whatever the river decides.

When you don't know who you are, it's difficult to determine the type of people you want to allow to share your life. You enter a relationship not because you've vetted the person based on the principles you live by and determined that they hold many of the same values. That they complement and positively add to your life and will act in your best interest and help strengthen you.

Instead, your criteria might be based on their appearance. Their job. What they seem to have. Or simply that they've taken an interest in you!

Weak relationships don't just happen. We create them!

Thanks for listening.

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