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save the marriage podcast

How to Deepen Your Connection
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

How do you deepen the connection in your marriage?The #1 reason people sought me out for couples counseling:  “We are just not connected.”  The #1 reason why marriages end up failing:  “We are just too disconnected.”

What happened?  That connection you had at the beginning of your marriage… where did it go?

I can tell you the biggest reason why couples become disconnected:  life gets in the way.  Or more correctly, couples let life get in the way.  They hit the “pause button” on the relationship.  Because of kids, the career, schooling, hobbies, friends… lots of reasons.

They just didn’t know there is no such thing as a pause button.  Either your relationship is growing or receding.  There is no pause.

Still, they hit pause… and their marriage begins to disconnect.  Then, reconnecting seems so hard.  It is pushing against the inertia created.  It starts feeling like one more “have to” that is shuffled off to the back, last in line.  The marriage stays “paused,” and the relationship continues to decline.

How DO you deepen your connection? That is the topic on this week’s Save The Marriage Podcast.

I discuss the 3 levels of connection, and why it is so easy at the beginning… and then gets hard.  I also note the 2 characteristics you need in order to build the connection between you and your spouse.

And then, I introduce you to a couple who have created a fun way to build connection with your spouse.  Don’t miss that discussion!

 

RELATED RESOURCES
BetterTopics.com
Kickstarter Project
Book:  How To Save Your Marriage In 3 Simple Steps (I cover the 3 levels of connection)
The Importance of Connection
Pause Button Marriage
Why Pause is So Bad

Survival Rules for Your Marriage
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

How to survive a marriage crisis; survival mindset and rules.Your marriage is in trouble.  You know you want to save your relationship, but you aren’t sure how.

Step #1 is surviving.

Confession:  I have an abiding interest in survival.  I’m the guy who reads all the scuba accident reports, the shark attack reports, and the mountaineering accident reports.

Why do those who survive make it through?  What makes a difference for them?

They followed, on purpose or by accident, “rules” of surviving.  Those rules can help you, too.

Your first task is to survive.  That gives you time to take more action.  Those actions are designed to rescue your relationship.  In fact, that is one rule I cover… being the rescuer.  Check it out in this episode of the Save The Marriage Podcast.

RELATED RESOURCES
Simplify It (series)
Anti-Fragile Marriage
Surviving Specific Situations (series)
Save The Marriage System

 

Love Isn’t (Only) Romantic
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

What does it mean if the passion and romance are missing?  Does that mean the love is gone?  Covered in this episode of Save The Marriage Podcast.“Our marriage is broken,” she told me.  “We don’t have the passion anymore, so I don’t think we should stay married.”

Missing passion… is it the end of marriage, or something else?

Most relationships are sparked by infatuation.  Call it passion or romance, but the desire to be with that person, that overwhelming attraction, is a building-block for a long-term relationship — including marriage.  It is, though, not the goal.

For most, that part of a relationship is a stage.  It naturally cools over time.  This is just the nature of an attraction.  It tempers over time.  Which means that we can get back to the rest of life — the parts of life that get disregarded in the heat of passion.

Does that mean you must just let romance and passion fall by the wayside?  Not at all.  You just can’t count on it as the focus.

Unfortunately, people often judge a marriage dead because the passion is missing. Also unfortunately, they haven’t nurtured the passion and romance.  The fact that it disappeared is more a reflection of the damaged connection than a sign the marriage was not meant to be, or has irretrievably failed.

I discuss the Passion Paradox in this episode of the Save The Marriage Podcast.  Listen below.

RELATED RESOURCES
Love Is Not Effortless
Does Romance Kill A Relationship?
Where DID Those Feelings Go?
Save The Marriage System

Quarantined Together or Apart
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Dealing with a marriage crisis in the midst of quarantine and pandemic.If a marriage crisis was not enough to deal with… now we have a pandemic.  And if that was not enough, we are self-isolating.  The pandemic isn’t anything we can control.  Self-isolating is best for ourselves and others.

What, though, does that mean about your marriage crisis?  How do you deal with that?  In the midst of the pandemic?  And while self-isolating.

That breaks down into 4 different groups:  Isolating together but working alone, isolating together and working together, isolating apart and working alone, and isolating apart but working together.  Each has some nuances that need your attention.

I cover some recommendations for each group, and explain why it makes a difference.

Listen in below.

RELATED RESOURCES:
Coping with COVID series
Understanding Space
Levels of Intimacy
Save The Marriage System

Not Doing or Not Knowing What To Do
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Every day, I hear from people who are stuck in a marriage crisis.  When I ask them, “what are you doing to work on your marriage?”, their response is:  “Well, not much…. I’m stuck.”

Not doing anything versus not even knowing WHAT to do. Just to clarify, these folks are all wanting to save their marriage.  None want their relationship to just end.  That’s why they are reaching out to me.

HERE IS WHO I AM

They (and probably you) want to save your marriage.  And yet many times, nothing is really happening.  Maybe you’ve already tried something.  But many times, there hasn’t really been any action.

What’s going on here?  Why no action?

Years ago, a health crisis made me take a long look in the mirror.  Did I know that not exercising was not good?  Yep.  Did I know that eating poorly was not good?  Yep.

And still, I didn’t exercise and I didn’t eat well.

Then, my body rebelled.  To the point that I had doctors telling me that I was headed for disability… and eventual death.  That will get your attention!

I was fortunate.  While their diagnosis was correct, the prognosis was not.  I beat the odds and recovered.  Not because I was taking better care of myself.  I just got lucky.

But it got my attention!  I realized that I had to turn things around… before the next crisis came along… one that I could not beat.

So, I started exercising.  I tried to eat better.  I WANTED to get better.  And sure, there was a difference.  I got in better shape.  I was dealing with stress better.  And yes, in some ways, I was eating better.

My weight, though, didn’t shift much.  I kept trying to eat better… but not much changed on the scale.

Yes, I was frustrated.  I kept telling myself I was DOING something.  But really, it was only a minor shift.  Mostly because I did not understand HOW to make a change.

Did I want to lose weight and get into better shape?  Absolutely.  Had I made some progress?  No doubt.  Had anything truly changed?  Nope.  Except now, I was well aware of my plight?  I knew I needed to change.  I just wasn’t doing anything that was going to make a change.

Know why?

I didn’t know how!

Sometimes, we say we want to do something… but we really don’t.  We just think we should want to do it.  But many times, we really do want to make a change… we just lack the know-how.

So, I started researching.  No, I did not want to do the research on how to eat better.  No, I didn’t even want to be an expert in eating better.  But I wanted to FIND the expert… the person who had already done the research.  Then, I could just follow what they had already found.

First stop was the Slow Carb Diet.  It worked.  I lost weight.  But on cheat days, I felt absolutely awful.  So, I dug deeper and found the Paleo approach.  That was like magic.  Since then, I have just been fine-tuning as I find better research.  That has included Keto dieting, Intermittent Fasting, etc.  My body weight?  I’m 6’4”, and weigh 185.  I wear the same pant waist size as in college.  My body fat is around 11%.  Not bad for an almost-54 year old.

Was it because I became an expert?

No.  It was because I found expertise and followed their advice.  I didn’t need to reinvent something.  I just needed to follow something.

What about marriage?

Here is the honest truth:  most people fail in marriage because nobody told them what marriage was really about.

HERE IS A TRAINING ON WHAT MARRIAGE IS REALLY ABOUT

And even if you might have some idea of what a marriage is about, what do you do when there is a crisis?  There is no reason for you to know how to deal with a crisis.  We rarely know what to do when something unexpected hits.

What caused the problem?

HERE IS A TRAINING ON WHY MARRIAGES GET INTO TROUBLE

“Sure,” you might say, “things haven’t been the best.  But they weren’t the worst.  Why a crisis now?”

HERE IS A TRAINING ON WHY YOU ARE IN CRISIS NOW

Once the crisis is here, you are likely unprepared on what to do.  So, let me suggest taking a look at my Back To Basics Series.

HERE IS THE BACK TO BASICS SERIES OF TRAINING

Here’s what I know:  you are serious about saving your marriage.  That means you have a desire to save your marriage.  But as we have discussed, wanting to save your marriage is far different than knowing how to save your marriage.

The fact that you are not willing to just give up and walk away is commendable.  It is COURAGEOUS to decide to work on saving a marriage.  Saving your marriage MATTERS.

But here is where the “rubber hits the road.”  Desire to save your marriage is not enough.  You need steps.  You need a plan.

How are your efforts going?  Are you stuck?  Let’s get you through this.

Do you have my Save The Marriage System?

“NO” – Click HERE To GRAB My SAVE THE MARRIAGE SYSTEM

“YES” – Click HERE To LEARN MORE About Coaching Options For MORE HELP

Look, I recognize that saving a marriage can be tough, painful, scary, and frustrating.  As much as you WANT to do it, you have to KNOW HOW to do it.  Otherwise, you will either get stuck because you don’t know what to do or make it worse by doing the wrong thing.

It is too important to stay stuck.  It isn’t your fault that you didn’t know what to do.  But it is up to you to figure it out… for you, your spouse, your marriage, and your family.  So, let’s make sure you have what you need.  Let’s get you “up to speed” and get you moving ahead.

It is always your choice on whether to save your marriage or not.  If you decide to, then the next decision is to find out how.

If you need a System that has been tested and refined for nearly 3 decades, GO HERE TO GRAB MY SAVE THE MARRIAGE SYSTEM.

If you have my System, but still need more help, CHECK OUT MY OTHER RESOURCES HERE.

I’m pulling for you!

Lee Baucom, Ph.D.
Creator of the Save The Marriage System
Author of How To Save Your Marriage In 3 Simple Steps, Recovering From The Affair, Marriage Failpoint, Thrive Principles, The Immutable Laws Of Living, The Forgive Process
Host of Save The Marriage Podcast and Thriveology Podcast

Did Your Apology Fail?
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

What if your spouse didn’t respond to your apology?  Is it over?  Did it fail?  Has your marriage failed?  Let’s talk about it.You apologized to your spouse… maybe on your own, or maybe because I suggested it.

And…

Nothing.  Nada.  Zero.  Zilch.

No change, no difference.

Does that mean that your efforts are over?  That your attempts to save your marriage are a failure?

Just to reassure you, an apology letter with no response does not necessarily mean it was a failure.  And it sure doesn’t mean that your efforts are over.

This week, I am answering Chris’s questions about an apology letter “fail.”  If you have a question, you can submit it at [email protected] for consideration.

RELATED RESOURCES:
Anatomy Of An Apology
Of Apologies and Forgiving
Forgiveness Is NOT A Blank Check
5 Rules for Apologizing
Save The Marriage System
VIP (If you have the System)

Your Questions About Infidelity, part 2
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Listener questions about infidelity and cheating answered here. Just part 1. How to deal with cheating, physical or emotional. Infidelity and affairs hurt many marriages. Learn how to recover.In the last episode, I answered questions about infidelity and marriage.  Well, I started answering questions.  Since I started asking for your questions, I have received quite a few about affairs and infidelity.  So, I continue answering questions in this episode of the Save The Marriage Podcast.

Last episode, we focused more on what to do while there is an affair, emotional or physical.

This episode focuses a bit more on the aftermath.  What do you do when the affair is ending/has ended?  Especially if there is still contact!

What do you do with those thoughts and fears?  What do you do about trust?  How do you rebuild the relationship in the shadow of cheating?  Especially if the cheating spouse is not doing what you want them to do in the recovery process?

And by the way, what’s “normal” in an upside-down reality?

We cover that and more!

Listen below for my answers to listener questions on infidelity (part 2)

RELATED RESOURCES:
Book:  Recovering From The Affair
Infidelity Questions, Part 1
Other Infidelity Podcast Episodes
Truth About Trust
Aftermath of An Affair

Apologizing and Forgiving
Importance of Connection

Dealing with Indifference…
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

How to deal with a spouse's indifference and disinterest.For awhile, I have been answering listener-submitted questions, and continue to do so in this episode (if YOU want to ask a question, send it to [email protected]).

This week, I respond to a couple of questions about a spouse’s indifference and/or resistance to attempts at connection.

It can be frustrating when you so desperately want to rebuild a marriage.  Maybe your spouse claims to want the same.  Maybe your spouse just doesn’t respond much at all.  A little conversation… that goes nowhere.  Or attempts at conversation… that go nowhere.  It can feel frustrating and defeating.

How should you understand the situation?

What can you do about it?

Can you make progress?

We discuss these questions (and more) in this episode of the Save The Marriage Podcast.  Listen below.

RELATED RESOURCES
3 Step Process
3 C’s of Doing It
Importance of Connection
When Spouse Can’t See A Way
Resentment and Anger
Save The Marriage System

How Are You Showing Up?
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

How Are You Showing Up In Life?  That is how you are showing up in your marriage.We all “show ourselves” in our interactions with others.  Sometimes, we truly Show Up, bringing our best self to the relationship.

Other times, we bring an angry/resentful presence to the table.  Other times, it might be a cold/distant presence.  And still other times, it might be a needy/desperate presence.

As you may have guessed, an angry or distant or needy presence rarely serves the relationship or the improvement of a relationship.

Maybe you think you are just responding to what is coming your way… that you are just following your spouse’s lead… or the lead of the world around you.

But we all get to choose how we will Show Up.

We get to choose how we want to be, who we want to be, in all of our relationships.  We don’t have to leave it to reaction or fear, resentment or hurt.  We can choose how and who we will be in life.

How do YOU Show Up?

Listen for how to Show Up the way you want to!

RELATED RESOURCES
3 C’s of Saving a Marriage
Forgiveness and Marriage
Apologies and Marriage
How To Really Show Up
Grab The Save The Marriage System

“Am I The Problem?”
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Am I the problem in my marriage? Did I cause the marital problems? Did I make the marriage crisis happen?"Maybe your spouse has been saying, “This is ALL YOUR FAULT!”  Or maybe it is just you… wondering… torturing yourself… about whether this marriage crisis is your fault.  Are you the problem?

Let me reassure you that you are not the first person to wonder that.  People search about that on my blog.  People write me to ask that same question.  Many people start our coaching sessions with the same question.

So, what is the truth? Are you the problem?  Did you cause the problem?  Does that even help the problem?

Many times, people like to look at one single point-in-time… frequently, a point that leaves them as NOT at fault.  They look for a time when they can accuse someone else, blame someone else, for the situation.

And rarely is that accurate, or even fair.

Still, we all like to point the blame elsewhere.

Let’s talk about this from a couple of perspectives.  One is kind of a higher level perspective, to question the concept of blame.  The other is a much more practical “what do I do?” perspective.  Both get us to a better place than simply asking, “Am I the problem? Am I to blame for our marriage crisis?”

Listen below as I tackle the question:  “Am I the Problem?”

RELATED RESOURCES
Showing Up
Blame & Shame
Ruining Today with Yesterday
How To NOT Save Your Marriage
How TO Save Your Marriage — System