Posts Tagged :

saving a marriage

Helping or Hurting??
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Are you helping or harming your marriage and your chances of saving it?You’ve been working on saving your marriage… and you aren’t seeing the traction you want.  Or maybe is just isn’t moving as fast as you would like.

Sometimes, it can take more time than you think or want.

But are there times that your efforts are doing more harm than good?

Are there times you are hurting, not helping, your relationship and your chances at saving it?

Yes.

There are common situations I see in my coaching, where someone’s efforts to save a marriage are actually doing more harm than good.  Interestingly, people make the same mistakes others have made.

More interestingly, they are easy to see when they are pointed out.  And more importantly, they can be corrected, once you can see them.

So, let’s talk about the times when people do more harm than good in their efforts to save a marriage.

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Staying Together for the Wrong Reasons??
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Are you staying together for the wrong reasons?I’ve been answering listeners’ questions on the Save The Marriage Podcast.  And in this episode, I pull together a repeating question about “Should we stay together because of this Insert Bad Reason Here?”

Several people told me they were still married, just for the sake of the kids.  Several told me that their spouse was still there because they could not afford to separate, much less to divorce.  And some told me they stayed married just to avoid having to hit the dating scene.  And then, there is that anxiety of “what will people think?”  So, they stay together.

But is that enough, they ask?  Should they only stay together for these “wrong reasons?”

You can make a perspective shift and use those “wrong reasons” to get you to the right place in your relationship.

I cover 4 ways to get there in this episode of the podcast.

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When to Talk?
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

When things are improving, when is it time to talk about the issues in your marriage?You’ve taken steps to save your marriage.  And it seems to be working!  Things are improving.  The ice is melting.  Perhaps you are treating each other better, maybe even laughing here and there.

And perhaps YOU took some big step — like writing the apology letter the way that I recommend.  But you also know that when to talk — when to address the issues — is a big concern.  If you ask too soon, do you risk a setback?

A podcast listener recently sent in a question about that.  Her anxiety has been building about their progress.  She can see the signs.  But what about that “elephant in the room?”  Is it time to address it?

In this episode of the podcast, I respond to “S” to bring some clarity to the question, “When to Talk?”

You can listen below.

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Save The Marriage System
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How to Avoid a Blow-Up
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Avoiding The Blow Up.Slowly, slowly… you are making progress!  You keep working on turning your marriage around… and it is working!

Maybe you think it isn’t moving fast enough.  Or maybe you have just been holding all of those emotions, fears, and hurts, in… and they start to grow.  You can feel it!

But you try hard not to let it out.  To keep on moving forward.  To keep on making connections.

Until…

Maybe it was something small…

Maybe it was yet one more little thing (or even a medium thing… maybe even a big thing!)…

And BOOM!  You blow up!

You use a tone you wish you hadn’t.  You say things you wish you hadn’t.  You do things you wish you hadn’t.

BLOW UP!

… and then it passes.

But the damage is done.

Your efforts can feel like they have been in vain.

So, let’s talk about what to do BEFORE the blow-up!  It is much easier to stay ahead of the problem than to catch up and rebuild after the problem.

Listen to this week’s podcast episode below.

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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

All The Wrong Reasons: Should You Stay Together?
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

Are you staying together for the wrong reasons?We continue with listeners’ questions on the Save The Marriage Podcast.  And in this episode, I pull together a central question about “Should we stay together because of this Insert Bad Reason Here?”

Several people told me they were still married, just for the sake of the kids.  Several told me that their spouse was still there because they could not afford to separate, much less to divorce.  And some told me they stayed married just to avoid having to hit the dating scene.  And then, there is that anxiety of “what will people think?”  So, they stay together.

But is that enough, they ask?  Should they only stay together for these “wrong reasons?”

You can make a perspective shift and use those “wrong reasons” to get you to the right place in your relationship.

I cover 4 ways to get there in this episode of the podcast.

RELATED RESOURCES
Connecting
Changing
Conflict
Convincing – don’t!
Save The Marriage System

 

Can Sex Save A Marriage?
150 150 Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D.

(And can the lack of sex destroy a marriage?)

I always venture into a conversation about sex with a bit of trepidation.  Reason being that while few want to talk about sex, everyone has an opinion, and an emotional reaction to the topic.

If you are in a marriage in trouble, and sex is one of the issues, then there is even more energy around this topic, and even more of a chance for emotional responses.

That said, this is a very important topic.  So important, in fact, that I devote quite a few pages to it in my Save The Marriage System.  And a big enough issue that when people report on why their marriage ended, sex is in the top 3 reasons given (along with finances and parenting).

Why is it such an emotionally charged topic?  Simple.  It is one of the taboo topics in our culture.  By the way, you may notice that so are finances and parenting.  How many times have you, at a cocktail party, started a conversation with “how’s your sex life with your spouse?” or “how much money’d you make this year?” or “can I tell you something about your parenting?”  Oh, sure, we talk about these issues with our closest friends, sometimes.  But usually with a good bit of emotion, joking, tears, or because of a crisis.

So, even perspiring a bit, I press on.  Can sex save a marriage?  Can a poor sex life destroy a marriage?  Easy answer:  perhaps.

First, let me say that we humans have a wide range of sexual appetites, both in frequency and style.  So, to think that a marriage is going to have two equally interested partners is fantasy.  And that often begins the troubles.  What starts as a loving gesture of connection begins to be a struggle of interest, and then a struggle of wills.  There is going to be a winner and a loser.  And at that point, a great method of connection begins to be a great method of struggle.

Clearly, since sex ends up being in the top 3 of marriage-enders, it can certainly destroy a marriage.  A power struggle eats away at any marriage, leaving little room for growth, but plenty of space for stagnation.

Marriage is about partnership, being a team, connecting.  Sex is about connection.  Or should be.  So when sex is missing from a marriage, it begins to be a place of struggle.  No longer connection, it begins to be isolating.  Often, at the first stage, one wants sex and the other resists.  Both begin to feel isolated, one pressured and one rejected.  Isolation moves toward disconnection.  Until, at some point, someone decides that he or she “can’t take it anymore,” and decides to make the isolation legal.

So, that really gets us back to the topic at hand:  can sex save a marriage?  I answered already with “perhaps.”  So, let me elaborate a bit.

To be clear, sex is no panacea.  A broken marriage is not going to suddenly be healed by bedroom activity.  In fact, going from no sex to lots of sex can lead to anger and resentment:  “why wasn’t it like this before I decided to leave?”

But sex IS another way to connect and reconnect.  It CAN help move a couple toward renewed commitment and feelings of connection.

Too often, we underestimate how powerful sex is, and how important it really can be.   We often decide it is just about someone wanting to “get off,” or as I heard several times in my office last week, “get release.”  We get into that old “either/or” thing of it is only about the desire for pleasure.  It is possible that sex can be because it feels good AND it leads to connection.  It really is often a “both/and.”  But the more a couple struggles, the harder it is to see this.

People also tend to underestimate the deep feeling of rejection felt by the person who is wanting to have sex.  And since, in many relationships, that falls more and more to one person, it is possible that the person rejecting has not felt that in a VERY long time.

Now, the other side:  sex cannot be about pressure.  It must be about mutuality, and with respect.  Otherwise, it does merely become a physical release.  That does not mean that both are equal in their desire.  Only that both seek to be respectful and understanding of the needs of both.

Can sex improve a marriage?  Definitely.

Ready to save your marriage?  Grab my system HERE.