Close
Enter your
text here
Monthly Archives :

August 2012

Politics and Marriage: Lessons for EVERY Couple!
 150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.
By:

It must be that time.  My mind drifts to politics — and usually to my exhaustion and disgust for the process.  Oh, don’t get me wrong.  I do believe we need a political process.  But, it is broken.  All that fighting.  All that looking at what is different.  All the ignoring of common grounds.

Both parties seem to ignore what the other one says.  Both pretend to have a corner on what is right.

Neither side seems to be able to make room to even contemplate the other side might have a point.

And forget working on compromises!  It is the “my way or the highway” approach.  And yet both sides need the other for balance.

Oh.  Did I mention that I am talking about the couples that come to my office for help with their marriage?

Sorry about that.  Sometimes, it seems that the couples are doing the same thing as the national political parties.

Just this morning, I listened for quite a while as each person let the other know what he/she had done wrong, how she/he should have done it, and why failure was eminent.

This morning, it was about parenting.  But it could have been about money, sex, religion, occupational choice, home choice, how the grass was cut, how the dinner was cooked, how the rug was vacuumed, etc., etc., etc.

After letting it go on a bit, I paused them and asked each to tell me what was RIGHT about what the other person had said.  That jolted them!

They had simply stopped considering this.  They were ready to tell me what was WRONG, not what was RIGHT.  But I pushed.

Then, sheepishly, the wife admitted “we agree on almost everything.  We really only have slight differences.”

I observed, “yet those slight differences have left you arguing for 20 minutes here, for over an hour last night, and my guess is lots more time over the years.”

Both were quiet.  But both agreed with me.

And that, to me, is the tragedy of politics, both household and national.  We spend so much time arguing our point, we refuse to listen — to REALLY listen — to the other side.  We make the other side into a caricature.  We pretend there is only one way, and OURS is it.  Even though we know, deep down inside, that this is a lie.

Perhaps it is human nature to do that, to argue and disagree.

But perhaps it is our capacity to rise above this that really shows our higher nature.

Working cooperatively.

It is a choice we have every single day.

Will we work for our common interests or just push against each other?

I constantly see the results of pushing against each other.

But just often enough for me to be optimistic, I see people rise above and work for the common good.

Your choice.  What will YOU choose today?

Wow! 24 years!
 150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.
By:

Today is an important day in my life.  24 years ago, my wife and I pledged our lives together.

I must admit, I had NO idea where the road of life would lead.  I had NO idea of what was coming.  I only knew that I wanted Kathy to spend that time with me, however it went.  And I wanted to do the same with her.

We pledged our lives together in good and bad days (we have had both), in rich and poor days (LOTS of the latter, but so rich in many ways!), sick and healthy days (and there have been both — some scary sick days).

We promised to protect our relationship, to treasure each other, and to love one another.

In the years since, I realized how little I knew what that meant, and how much I had to learn.  Fortunately, Kathy is patient.  My skull is thick, but I do eventually learn!

Today, 24 years later, I am so very thankful that Kathy has been by my side, and I have been by her side.  We have faced life together.

And I look forward to Many Many more!

Save Your Marriage Rule #10: Work On Yourself
 150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.
By:

Save your marriage by looking in the mirror.Really, saving a marriage is a two-pronged process.

One is reconnecting the marriage.  We have spent a good bit of time talking about the rules of working on your relationship.  So let’s move to the second level.

Because the second prong of the process is working on and improving yourself.

At this point, you are saying one of two things to yourself.  You may be saying “absolutely, I need to make some changes!”

But more likely, you are thinking “why should I have to change?  What about my spouse?  Why doesn’t my spouse have to change?”

That is a fair question.  Just not helpful.  Would it be great if BOTH you and your spouse changes yourself?  Absolutely.

But you are the one that is here.  You are the one looking for help on how to save your relationship.

At a deeper level, though, a response that is about “why do I have to change?” also notes why we don’t change.  We are keeping score, looking at what the other needs to  do.

For myself, I am quick to acknowledge that there are always some areas I could improve.  There are always areas of growth and development.  In fact, some days, I am constantly tripping over the multitude of things I need to change about myself!

Part of what I see as the task of life is to always be growning and developing.  We ALL have places where we fall short.

So, just for a moment, if you are objecting to you having to change, let’s just set that aside.  Instead, see this as an opportunity to grow, to be a better person.

Which raises the question of why I think this is so important.

First, I have already stated my bias that life is about growth and development.  As Ray Kroc said, “you are either green and growing or ripe and rotting.”  I love that quote!

But second, in terms of the relationship, being a growing, changing, developing person is attractive.  Being stale and stagnant is, well, repulsive.

And in the process of moving from wherever your relationship is to having a deep and satisfying relationship, my guess is that one element that needs to shift is that attraction.  We all want our spouse to have that “in love” feeling toward us.  That is based, in part, on being attractive (not necessarily physically).

Time to head for the mirror!  Time to take a deep and long look into that mirror and ask “who do I need to become?”

One wrong answer:  “whatever my spouse wants me to be.”

Right answer:  “wow!  I know I need to address these areas in order to be a better person!”

In my System, I discuss boundaries.  Boundaries are ways you protect yourself.  A boundary is what you will not let someone else do to you, your marriage, or your family.

But there is a closely related term:  Standards.  Personal standards.

A standard is what you expect of yourself — the standard you hold.

For example, a standard may be “I am honest with everyone in all of my dealings.”

The space between where you are now and what your standard is, well that is your area of growth.

So, let’s start there.  What do you expect of yourself, but don’t currently measure up:
How you treat other people.
How you treat your own body.
How you interact with the world.
The attitude that you take toward life.
etc., etc., etc.

Then ask this: “what do I hear from my spouse/kids/friends on how I act that upsets them?”

Years ago, my sister-in-law (who was my brother’s girlfriend at that time) made an off-handed comment about my sarcastic sense of humor.  It was pointed and edgy.

I realized I did not want that to be my image.  I set out to change that.

My family will tell you, I can still be sarcastic/ironic/cynical for humor.  But it is nothing like it used to be!  And when I notice I am moving in that direction again (usually because I notice I hurt someone’s feelings), I know it is time for a mid-stream readjustment.

What areas do you hear from others where you need to change?

By now, if you are honest with yourself, you have the targets.  That is the starting point.

Time to work on those issues.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew, but start working on being the person you want to be.  Resist seeing it as all-or-nothing.  It is about growth.  Accept you will make mistakes and fall back into old patterns.

But over time, you will see that you are growing.  You are becoming who you need to be.  And guess what?  Those around you will see it, too.

Which brings us to a final point:  Do not TELL people how you have changed.  Don’t try to get them to see it.  Simply BE the change.  Let them experience you differently.  Let them discover you are different.  Then, they will know it is legitimate.

That’s it!  Those are the Top 10 Rules For Saving Your Marriage.  Are you ready to take the next step and really get going?  I invite you to grab my information by CLICKING HERE.

Save The Marriage Rule #9: Two Important Feelings
 150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.
By:

Susan and Michael were sitting at the opposite sides of my couch, about as far apart as the arms of the couch would allow.  Each was a mirror of the other, arms and legs crossed tightly, feet bouncing nervously/angrily.  Each was looking toward the opposite direction.

It was one chilly moment!  I sat for a few moments, hoping one or the other would thaw the situation with a little verbal communication.  None was forthcoming.

I asked, “so, what brings you here?”

Silence.

I suggested, “therapy is tough when done in silence.”  (Ah, how astute I am!)

Silence.

I noted, “you both made the effort to be here.  Perhaps we could use the time in some way that would be helpful?”  (50 minutes of silence is a LONG time!  Trust me on that.)

Silence.

I was pondering what might actually get us somewhere when Susan said “he doesn’t love me.  He never has.  I have had enough rejection!”

Anger flashed across Michael’s face, and he responded “Rejected!?!  You reject me on a daily basis!  Every day, you show me you neither want me around nor need me!”

Susan quickly retorted “I feel the same way!”

I asked, “Michael, is that accurate?  Is Susan right that you don’t love her, that you want nothing to do with her?”

He spit back “Of course not!  I love Susan with all of my heart, but she is breaking it!”

“Susan,” I asked, “is Michael correct, that you don’t want or need him?”

“No,” said Susan, “but after so many times of being rejected, you finally stop trying!  I have learned to get along alone.”

How sad, I thought.  Both claim to love the other.  And neither feels it from the other.

But they had nailed the symptoms:  
1)  Feeling unwanted.
2)  Feeling unaccepted.

In the next few sessions, I helped Susan and Michael understand how important it is to get a spouse to feel those emotions.  Notice, I said “feel.”

If the emotions are there, but not felt, problems still arise.

What I mean is, even if you want your spouse and you accept your spouse, if he or she does not experience that, it is for nothing.

When I say “want,” I mean that in every sense:
“I want you physically.”
“I want you in my life.”
“I want to share my world with you.”

The opposite is to feel either unwanted or needed.  When someone feels unwanted, the rejection leads to a process of defensive disconnection.  It is simply too painful to feel that level of connection.

To feel needed creates a sense that the other person is needy, and not an equal.  It also raises the question of whether someone is wanted or simply needed.  That creates an equally yucky (not a clinical term) experience.

As important is the feeling of acceptance.  We all have a deep need to be accepted, to have someone love us as we are, in spite of our shortcomings.
“I accept you as you are.”
“I accept you as a growing, changing human being.”
“I accept you are not perfect, and neither am I.”

When someone is trying to get someone else to change, the sense of being accepted quickly vanishes.

Countless times, I have heard comments like:
“If he wasn’t so lazy, maybe he’d have a better job.”
“I am just trying to help my spouse be more stylish.”
“I am only saying that for their own good.”
. . . and many, many other ways of saying “my spouse is not acceptable.”

So, take a few moments and ask:
“What do I do that might make my spouse feel unwanted?”
“What do I do that might make my spouse feel needed?”
“What do I do that might make my spouse feel unaccepted?”

Work on changing those behaviors.

But then go to the next step.  Commit to making sure that your spouse feels wanted and accepted.

Then refuse to get sucked in to responding in kind, when you feel unwanted/needed or unaccepted.  Don’t decide to match how you perceive your spouse is acting.  Instead, act the way you know you should.

Oh, Michael and Susan?  They quickly discovered that both deeply loved the other.  Once they could talk about how they wanted each other, and showed acceptance, they discovered a depth of marriage they had never had before!

Powerful emotions, when we feel wanted and accepted.  Do that for your spouse!

Ready to get out of the viscious cycle?  CLICK HERE to discover how to transform your marriage!