Well, other than the fact that I snore, Josh leaves cupboards open, we both like to snuggle, Josh has a slight golf obsession & I kinda like content creation for social media LOL… we’ve learned so much about each other, about partnership, marriage, love, life, and we’ve grown so much as individuals and a couple! Here are just 4 of the many things I could write! I hope in someway they’re great take aways for you to perhaps reflect on or apply in your relationships!

SET UP FAMILY PRIORITIES

Yes when you get married, your family starts now! You don’t wait until you have kids to be a family and set the vision for what you’d love your family home to be like, feel like and how you’d like it to operate. It’s important to know the ultimate picture you’re looking to paint, in order to actually achieve that. For example, if you hop on a plane that will go anywhere you’d like and you really want to go to San Fransisco but you just say California and cross your fingers they’ll pick San Fransisco, well that’s just stupid. it’s also stupid to just hope that your family turns out the way you’d love, without calling it out and creating somewhat of a family guide. This also sets expectations properly, helps you unite which is SO key and work towards the same picture, the same destination, with clarity, with unity, with power.. Calling out your family priorities, values, non-negotiables, helps keep you on track to your desired destination, even when sometimes distractions may arise, energies may be low, you’ll stay motivated when you have an important and clear vision in mind. It will also help you make decisions in the future of if you should invest in something, choose something, or prioritize time for something.

BE QUICK TO LISTEN & SLOW TO SPEAK

This one is a hard one for a talker / communicator LOL. We always want to communicate our way through a decision, an opinion, a disagreement. But we rarely want to just sit back and L I S T E N. But I’ve learned, we’ve learned that this is SO important and actually makes for your communication to be actually thoughtful, balanced, and informed, knowing where the other person is at. It has ALWAYS been true in our scenario that if we have slightly differing opinions, or someone is feeling a certain way and the other isn’t, when we both listen to one another and what and why we’re feeling or experiencing something a certain way, we can understand one another and then actually effectively communicate. But you CANNOT understand until you LISTEN.

CELEBRATE WHAT YOU WANT MORE OF

This is a HUGE one! I think so many times in relationships in general our human default is to pick a part someone, to tell them the things they should fix, or they ought to do, or the shouldn’t do, or the little ticks they need to be aware of… This often is received with frustration, resentment and can easily call division or contention. When it is SO MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE to focus on celebrating what you LOVE about the person or what to see more of from the person. Your words and energy towards something gives it life and fire, so are you giving life and fire to the things you don’t like, or the things you love? Hmm…. For example, say you LOVE when your husband makes dinner… instead of complaining that you are always cooking on top of working and everything else you’re doing, when your husband DOES cook, or pick up dinner, or take care of dinner in some way, AFFIRM that and affirm it again. Communicate how much you appreciated it, how helpful it was, how much it made your day, and just watch it happen again next week. Complain about it, well good luck with that. Another example, if you LOVE when your husband sends you a nice message out of now where during the day. Communicate to him how much that makes your day and sets your attitude up for success. Watch him start to do it more. Complain that he doesn’t do it enough…. good luck. Affirming the positive allows the other person’s confidence to. be built and for them to view YOU in a positive, encouraging light rather than someone who is constantly making them feel bad about themselves.

BE IN LOVE… EVERYDAY!

If you want the honeymoon to last, make it last. It’s all about your thought life and your actions. Plan date nights, turn off the tv and play romantic music, light some candles, only speak positively about each other when at all possible, celebrate your partner, take care of yourself for YOU and for your partner, show interest in their days their work their hobbies. LOVE them— how do they like to receive love? Is it acts of service? Physical touch? Words of affirmation? LOAD IT ON! Sometimes this comes super naturally to couples, and sometimes perhaps it’s more difficult. If you find it hard try writing down three things you love about your partner every day. This will help keep your thought life focused on love and your actions can follow. But your actions can also hand in hand, lead your thoughts! Sometimes when we do something we know we should do, our thought life and experience and feelings catch up! Like a workout for example, you don’t always want to do it, but when you do your thoughts and experience catch up and feel amazing after! Same principal applies!

I hope those things were helpful! I would love to read your comments below! Got questions? Shoot me a DM!