RV… Doing it while we can

Tonight heard a great talk about communications, lets see if I can give some of the highlights.

First the levels of communications

1. Cliché conversation (like hello, how are you today, great weather, etc)
2. Reporting the facts
3. Sharing my opinions (starting out with something non-threating, and watching very closely to make sure it is received OK)
4. Emotional sharing – this would be sharing my feeling about something that is happening
5. Transparency (this would be willing to share all areas with a spouse or personal friend who is of the same sex)

Resolving conflicts:

• Start Well – when starting with the right attitude, and with good words
• Never Belittle, I’m not to feel like I’m better than or less than the person I’m communicating with
• Listen well
• Stay Positive
• In advance don’t assume what the end results will be

And as a Pre-flight check list before starting talk

1. Posture
2. Perspective
3. Intent

And here are some question that can be asked of your spouse on a regular basis (weekly) to make sure the marriage relationship is healthy and to build Intimacy.

1. Is there anything that I need to apologize for? (ie. Have I done anything this week to hurt you?)
2. Is there anything you need from me that you are not getting?
3. How can I be a better spouse?