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As seen on the weekly Love & Marriage segment of Fox8
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NEW! Listen to Kathy's 2-part interview with Trapper Jack and the Morning Show.
Part 1 Part 2Kathy Dawson is a member of the International Coach Federation
Your Pet Can Help Improve Your Marriage or Relationship!
Can owning a pet improve your relationship or marriage? The answer is YES! Setting boundaries with your pet, however, is key. If your pet sleeps between you in a way that interferes with intimacy, interrupts your conversations at the dinner table, or prevents you from vacationing alone with your partner, then it’s time to hire a trainer to help you set boundaries with your pet. Boundaries aside, how you love your pet can be a fabulous template for how to love your mate. Think about this:
- No matter your mood, you greet your pet in a positive, animated way.
- You practice forgiveness with your pet. No matter whether your pet pees or poops in the house or tears up a favorite shoe, you are quick to forgive rather than hold a grudge.
- You are free with physical affection toward your pet. Your pet gets hugs, kisses, rubs, and sometimes full-body massages!
To learn more ways how having a pet can enhance your relationship or marriage, click here.Coming Back From an Affair
Most people who suffer from their mate having an affair don’t consider the possibility that their relationship or marriage can become stronger and better because of the affair. I’m not condoning the idea of having an affair to give your marriage a much needed workout. It takes a lot of pain and energy to come back from an affair. But if an affair happens, it does not have to be the end of a marriage or committed relationship. By far, the best article I’ve read on coming back from an affair is in the May 2011 issue of O Magazine. Whether you’ve just discovered your mate has had an affair or you want to prevent that scenario from happening, I highly recommend you read this article. To read it, click here.
The Beauty of Boundaries
Relationships are all about boundaries. I’ve always known this to be true for humans, but this week I learned it’s the same for geese. My husband and I went to our gym a couple of days ago and upon arrival, we saw a goose standing by a landscaped area that had been marked off with a makeshift fence made of sticks and plastic. This had been erected to protect the geese’s nesting area. The goose stood guard and protected the area from intruders. One woman who walked too close to the goose got her workout pants pecked at. The boundary was set.
The next day we noticed the original boundary had been moved. Now there was a portable fence that had been erected about 10 feet closer to the doorway of the gym and there were two geese standing outside of the fence. The geese had expanded their boundary. These territorial creatures are a good reminder to me that boundaries are not only essential in a relationship, but they are also adjustable!
Quick tip for Saving Money on Gas and less Stress
Everyone is feeling the stress of gas prices these days.
Financial stress is one of the most common problems in a relationship or marriage.
Anytime you can learn a way to reduce money pressures, I’m all for it. I’m posting a link to a wonderful list of ways you can save money every time you go to the gas pump. It’s all about knowing how to fill up your gas tank on your car! Pass this along – it’s great info given to me by Chef Jakub Mejstrik (www.chef77.com), who has been on Can You Relate?
Post Valentine’s Day Pain
More than a week has passed since Valentine’s Day, and my guess is there are a fair amount of people licking wounds of disappointment. Expectations build starting the end of January, and they hit a peak by Feb. 12th. Will there be roses, candy, notes, a candlelight dinner, or at least an IOU for V-day? If you were one of those people who received nothing to signify this day of love, give yourself a small amount of time to grieve (if you’re still mourning, you’re way past the allotted time) and get clear on what this day means to you. Search your soul for this answer, rather than accepting an answer based purely on commercial influences.
Once you become clear on what Valentine’s Day means to you, have a heart-to-heart talk with your partner about it. Rather than creating a story in your head that your mate just doesn’t care, first give him or her a chance to care. WIthout blame for past V-day “mistakes,” define for your mate your meaning to the holiday. Be careful to avoid coming across as condescending or like a critical parent. Just speak your truth. Then let it go. There’s always next year.
