<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384</id><updated>2011-11-27T17:19:40.322-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Relationship Bliss</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>10</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-5652484265390525187</id><published>2009-10-26T20:54:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-27T13:07:31.651-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Boyfriend Break Up,Is It Possible To Get  Ex Back?</title><content type='html'>Has your boyfriend left you and you are feeling blue?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Did your boyfriend break up with you?  This is a rough time in your life.  You are probably hurting and want to know what caused your boyfriend break up. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First of all, while you can use this time to look at yourself and where you are in your life, don’t do too much introspection.  The truth behind why your boyfriend break up with you is that he had his own issues.  You know what they say, “it’s not you, it’s me.”Always passing the buck.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;You can spend time trying to get your ex back.  If you are going to go down this route, you need to know the following things:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;·    Don’t pester your ex – when your boyfriend break up with you, it meant that you have more limited access to him.  So don’t text him multiple times a day or call him a lot. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;·    It’s okay to flirt with other guys in his presence.  It may even make him want you back more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;·    When you do get back together for a “trial date” be cheerful and friendly but don’t pressure him for more than he can handle. Just be your old self but after the date give him two weeks to make a statement.If he doesn't, bang the door, and open for the real soul mate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But, if you have a feeling in your gut that the relationship is over when your boyfriend break up with you, then you need to start moving on. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of the first things you can do after your boyfriend break up is to sit down and write a long letter to him pouring out your heart-we are talking here about" Drying the Tears".  You can talk about the good times and bad.  You can tell him what a jerk he is and call him all sorts of names.  But, don’t mail the letter!  Instead, take a candle out and burn it.You will notice that the pains are gone after this ritual.Your essential energy comes back in full force and you are now ready for your New!  This is one of the best ways to get closure after a boyfriend break up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The next thing you need to do is do a property exchange.  Give him back the t-shirt that you love to sleep in.  Get the econ textbook you lent him.  If there are things like toothbrushes that are too trivial to exchange, throw them away.  Don’t have anything around that reminds you of him.  If you have gifts that he gave you, box them up for the time being.  If you have any money issues to resolve like debts to the other or a joint checking account, get them sorted out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After you have completed the property exchange, agree that you won’t have any communication for 30 days.  This may be hard if you are used to seeing each other on a daily basis, but after a boyfriend break up it is necessary to give yourself some space and distance. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;It hurts a lot when a boyfriend break up with you.  But it isn’t the end of your life.  You can even look at it as a good thing because it means that you are now free to meet your true soul mate.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Of course, you shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that just because you’ve gone through a boyfriend break up that all of the doors are firmly shut.  If you think you have a shot of winning him back and that’s something you want, you should by all means take the opportunity to do so.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;True love can even survive a boyfriend break up.B&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-5652484265390525187?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/5652484265390525187/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/10/boyfriend-break-upis-it-possible-to-get.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/5652484265390525187'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/5652484265390525187'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/10/boyfriend-break-upis-it-possible-to-get.html' title='Boyfriend Break Up,Is It Possible To Get  Ex Back?'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-3043561476731935680</id><published>2009-10-08T04:44:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-15T09:11:48.481-07:00</updated><title type='text'>I'm Still In Love My Ex May Not Be</title><content type='html'>You might say, “I’m still in love, my ex isn’t.” This is a difficult situation.  First of all, you don’t really know that your ex is not still in love with you, too.  Your ex may have claimed to not love you anymore, and that’s possible. &lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt; But it’s also possible that he or she still harbors feelings for you.  Many couples who still love each other very much break up for other reasons.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you can honestly say, I’m still in love my ex, there’s a good chance your ex might still love you.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea to try to get back together.  You broke up for a reason.  Even if you didn’t want to break up and the break off was entirely your ex’s doing, really think hard about things.  It’s rare that a person can’t think back and see reasons why the break-up might be for the best.  It isn’t always easy right at first when you’re still in so much pain from the break-up, but with time you’ll probably see that the break-up might even be good for you.&lt;br /&gt;If the break-up was mutual and now you’re having a hard time because you feel “I’m still in love, my ex should be here with me,” then it’s even more important that you examine why you agreed to the break-up in the first place.  Yes, there is a chance that a mutual split was a mistake.  But if you’ll really look back at the reasons you both had for calling a halt to the relationship, you might find that’s better to love your ex from afar and work through the sadness rather than try to rekindle the romance.&lt;br /&gt;“I’m still in love; my ex even wants to get back together.”  While this might make you feel very hopeful that the two of you might be able to work things out and live happily ever after, don’t be fooled into thinking that it will be easy.  The reasons you broke up are still there.  If you get back together, what will change?  Your relationship might go along well for a while because you’re both so happy to be back together. If you broke up thinking, I’m still in love my ex, and he or she thought the same so you got back together, you’ll go through a honeymoon period just as you did when you were a new couple.  You’ll both feel like you saved the relationship and kept each other from making a horrible mistake.  But that feel-good honeymoon period will wear off eventually. And then what will you do?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;How are you going to prevent the problems that caused you to break up in the first place from coming back and making you want to part ways again? Couples counseling is a good option.  If you think, “I’m still in love my ex and want him or her back,” then consider counseling to keep old problems from splitting you up again later.I just stumbled on this wonderful resurse that sums up allthe steps needed to help you know the margic of making up.Check it out &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://ea3adhvlt0serddggjl7qtsn6x.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top"&gt;Click Here!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-3043561476731935680?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/3043561476731935680/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/10/im-still-in-love-my-ex-may-not-be.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/3043561476731935680'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/3043561476731935680'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/10/im-still-in-love-my-ex-may-not-be.html' title='I&apos;m Still In Love My Ex May Not Be'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-1586115294584108856</id><published>2009-09-13T11:24:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-15T16:34:04.726-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Does My Ex Want To Get Back With Me How To Tell</title><content type='html'>If your ex is showing you a little bit of interest, or seems more interested in going out and spending time with you than before, or if you notice signs that your ex is trying to flirt with you, then it's okay to be a little hopeful but you need to avoid jumping the gun. Are you asking yourself "does my ex want to get back with me"?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These are definitely very common signs that your ex is interested in getting you back. But even if you want to get back with your ex, you should not simply jump into things. The best way to play things is to play hard to get (in moderation), which is probably what your ex will best respond to anyway. If you simply jump into things full force, then you may find your ex pushing you back again. In fact, if your ex is giving indications that he or she wants you back, then the odds are, it was you playing hard to get that led to the renewed interest in the first place.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Usually when you break up with your ex, or he or she breaks up with you, there is a natural level of missing one another, or longing to get back together. This is especially true following a relationship of a year or longer. Your ex is probably going to miss you no matter what, because of how many memories were shared together during this period of time. But there are other emotions that come into play including past regrets. If you are wondering "does my ex want to get back with me" the odds are that your ex may be thinking the same thing for the same reasons.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sometimes when an ex shows interest again following a break up however, it is only a game. They may see that you love them, and they may simply be trying to get attention, without actually intending to get you back. So, unless your ex really seems genuinely interested in spending time with you, they may just be passing the time because they have no other prospects on the horizon. And worst of all they  may see this as away to get revenge for some perceived wrong. This is why it is important not to jump the gun, and why you should focus on reading into the situation before you act on it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is common, and a lot of people find themselves wondering "does my ex want to get back with me?", but the truth is, its better to get a feel for the situation before you act. In reality, if your ex does want to get back with you, playing hard to get (in moderation) is the best scenario because it will prevent you from getting hurt if your ex is not really serious about getting back with you.&lt;a href="http://e98239zmxw2cisfigapaphtv66.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top"&gt;Click Here!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-1586115294584108856?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/1586115294584108856/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/09/does-my-ex-want-to-get-back-with-me-how.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/1586115294584108856'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/1586115294584108856'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/09/does-my-ex-want-to-get-back-with-me-how.html' title='Does My Ex Want To Get Back With Me How To Tell'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-3367162093841478623</id><published>2009-08-20T10:40:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-15T16:49:24.511-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Love, Sex, Relationships, and Early Addiction Recovery</title><content type='html'>As many people in recovery have probably heard, (and often ignored or debated) it is detrimental to early recovery to become involved in romantic relationships. This article will discuss some of the reasoning behind the often-proposed suggestion "no relationships for the first year."&lt;br /&gt;Perhaps it is best to start with a definition of a romantic relationship. Romantic in the sense it is being used here refers to experiencing feelings of attraction, infatuation, closeness, or what the individual considers love. Relationship in the sense we are using it refers to ongoing or regular contact between an individual or individuals who are experiencing these feelings. This article will describe some of the reasons that romantic relationships are detrimental to early recovery and some of the pitfalls that await those who attempt them. We will begin with describing Love.&lt;br /&gt;LOVE&lt;br /&gt;Love is a difficult concept to define. It is usually referred to as an emotion and has also been described as a behavior. Both are accurate. If you experience the emotion love it goes to reason that you would behave accordingly. Nearly everyone agrees that there are different types of love, as expressed to different people. There is love for a child, parent, sibling, friend, and lover. We will concern ourselves only with love between partners. According to social psychologist Robert Sternberg there are four types of love in relation to partners. The three components to these types of love can be thought of in terms of the points of a triangle to better illustrate.&lt;br /&gt;The three components of love are Intimacy, which can be described as getting to know the person and liking what you know, Passion, which is defined as infatuation and a strong desire to be close, and Commitment, for which I believe most readers know the definition. Combining the points of the triangle result in the types of love.&lt;br /&gt;Intimacy combined with Passion results in Romantic Love. This is what most partners experience in the beginning of a relationship, and it is usually energizing and exciting.&lt;br /&gt;Intimacy combined with Commitment results in Companion Love. This is what many relationships become after time. The partners are comfortable with one another, have an extensive history together, know each other well, and are committed to the relationship. There may likely be an absence of passion.&lt;br /&gt;Having all three Passion or Infatuation combined with Commitment results in Fatuous Love. This is the result of getting swept up in passion and committing to a long-term commitment without really knowing the person.&lt;br /&gt;Consummate Love is when all three components, intimacy, passion, and commitment are combined together. Of course, it is unrealistic to expect that the overwhelming passion present at the beginning of many relationships will continue forever. This type of passion lasts varying lengths of time, depending on the individual. Most consummate relationships have passion that comes and goes and varies in intensity.&lt;br /&gt;Unfortunately, many people confuse infatuation or passion with love. After a period of time together, and as the passion naturally cools, they find themselves falling out of love. This is where the saying "I love you, but I'm not in love with you any more" comes from. Many people in addiction recovery (and out of it) then end up going from one Romantic Love relationship to another, and wondering why they cannot find True Love.&lt;br /&gt;SEX&lt;br /&gt;A great deal of addicts in early recovery, when told it is ill advised that they enter a relationship, ask the question, Well what about sex? Usually they are referring to what is commonly called buddy sex or sport sex. These both refer to the act of sex for nothing more than the enjoyment of the act. No emotional involvement, no commitment, no strings. Although this seems cut and dry and mostly harmless if two consenting adults are involved, there are a few complications that at least should be considered.&lt;br /&gt;The first is that many people, let alone addicts in early recovery, have difficulty separating sex and intimacy. Often feelings develop despite the belief that they never would.&lt;br /&gt;Along these lines is the tendency of those that have been sexually abused to sexualize intimacy. This occurs when a friendship develops, secrets are shared, and a sexual attraction becomes apparent even though none had existed prior to the friendship getting closer. Because of the high prevalence of sexual abuse among addicts, and the nature of sharing on a personal level in the 12 step programs and groups, this is a very real and serious risk. To begin buddy sex may just be a symptom of diseased thinking, and could prove very detrimental.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Another consideration is casual sex's effect on self-esteem. Although most of us would like to believe we could have casual sex with no guilt or remorse, this is often not the case. &lt;span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"&gt;Casual sex often goes against the morals and values that one was taught and may continue to carry&lt;/span&gt;. Any time that we behave in a manner that goes against our values / mores we experience guilt. Guilt can have a detrimental effect on immediate recovery and on self-esteem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Even if it does not go against any morals or values that one may possess, it may likely be a behavior that was engaged in during active addiction. Since addiction and promiscuity often go hand in hand, having casual sex would tap into this addictive behavior and could be a trigger. And even if an individual was not promiscuous in their addiction, behaving with an "I want what I want when I want it attitude" remains an addictive behavior. One way that self-esteem can be raised is by delaying gratification, and making decisions that will make you feel better in the long run. Not&lt;span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"&gt; engaging in sport or buddy sex may be an example of this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;RELATIONSHIPS&lt;br /&gt;Most people believe in a spiritual or magical aspect that causes them to fall in love, and enter into a relationship. Many believe in a soul mate that is waiting for them, and that fate can step in at any moment anywhere and deliver their soul mate to them. The words that follow are not attempts to de-mystify love and relationships, but are simply to keep individuals from falling victim to other aspects that can appear to be mystical.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many people project qualities of their ideal mate onto the person that they are getting to know, and then confuse this with having found their soul mate. A projection is an internal ideal, thought process, or state that is attributed to another person. In other words, I know what I want and need my ideal mate to be, and I place these attributes and qualities into another individual. I observe this other person's behavior and relate it to my ideal. If I do not recognize that there is a projection (and rarely is a projection identified) I then believe I have found my soul mate. Later, when I know the person better, they begin to fall short of my expectations and ideals. Falling short of my expectations they cannot be the ideal, and often the search for my real soul mate begins again. This pattern of disappointment will continue until an individual realizes the reality of projection, and does not give in to the fantasy that they have found their soul mate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"&gt;Another aspect of relationships is the bargaining process.&lt;/span&gt; This is not an external event, but an internal one. Each person entering a relationship is aware of the attributes that they bring to the table. These can include attractiveness, financial security, a quality of sweetness, intelligence, being a giving person, being attentive, considerate, good in bed, etc. Knowing what attributes' one brings to the table, the individual wants a comparable partner. This does not mean that individuals necessarily want someone exactly as attractive, nice financially secure, etc., as we are. What it means is that we want an equal or better bargain in line with what we value. For example, how many very attractive women have you seen with men who are financially secure. The man knows he brings financial well being and security and values an attractive trophy for a partner. The woman in this example knows she is very attractive and values financial security. This example is simplified although it exists. The actual bargaining process is more complicated due to the amount of aspects to consider, but the example exemplifies the issue.&lt;br /&gt;So if you accept this bargaining component of relationships as true, you may wonder why it is a problem. After all, it exists whether in early recovery or not. The problem arises not due to the bargaining aspect alone. It arises because the bargaining aspect occurs while in early recovery.&lt;br /&gt;Addicts do not enter recovery with healthy self-esteem. This affects their perception of what attributes they are bringing to the relationship bargaining table. This presents several problems. The first is that they are not looking for or getting much in the bargain for a partner. If they do not feel very good about themselves, or if their belief that they feel good about themselves is instead a defense mechanism, they will not expect much in return for what they bring.&lt;br /&gt;Another problem that is in line with this is that during the first year of recovery a great deal of growth should occur. This growth raises self-esteem, and if one entered a relationship early in recovery, they will now realize that they can do better. Additionally, even if both grow, and both of the partner's self-esteem is raised, it is likely they will grow apart.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Family dynamics in early childhood also affect what we look for or are attracted to in a mate. One example of this is evident in the dynamics of the alcoholic home. Without spending an inordinate amount of time on typical family roles in an addicted family, there are generally four besides the addict and the codependent. They are: The Family Hero- who gives the family something to be proud of by excelling at school or sports. The Scapegoat- who acts out to detract from the tension in the family. The Lost Child- who provides no trouble for the family be being largely absent and self contained. The Mascot or Clown- who provides comic relief to reduce tension in the family.&lt;br /&gt;The family hero and scapegoat role is usually attracted to a dependent personality, such as a Lost Child or Mascot role. This also occurs in homes where there has been abuse. Often the daughter of a father who was abusive to the mother will end up in a relationship with a man who is abusive, even if there was no indication of him being abusive when they meet. Similarly, the daughter of an alcoholic often ends up married to an alcoholic. All of these examples illustrate the power of the unconscious on attraction. The power of early experiences and the formation of memory cannot be underestimated. In an excellent book entitled "A General Theory of Love" Lewis, Amini, and Lannon (2000) discuss the how early experiences and the formation of memory affects attraction. Until these issues or complexes are sufficiently resolved, individuals run the risk of falling victim to them and ending up in bad relationships.&lt;br /&gt;Another consideration regarding relationships is the impact of socialization on what we find attractive. Statistically, most people marry within their own race, religion, socioeconomic status, and culture. This is evidence of the impact socialization has on attraction. In itself this is not an issue. But is also lends credence to the importance of unconscious influence on attraction.&lt;br /&gt;A final consideration in regard to relationships in early recovery is that those in early recovery rarely know who they really are and often battle with this concept. If one is unsure of who they are, how can they know what they will want in a relationship? If they do not know who they are they cannot truly love themselves. If they do not love themselves how can they love a partner?&lt;br /&gt;In light of these considerations on the topic of early recovery and relationships, everyone in early recovery considering entering a relationship has reason for concern. The questions "is it possible this attraction is due to unconscious complexes or addictive behavior?" or "what contributes to my attraction to this person?" needs to be asked and strongly considered. And as a final thought in regard to answering these questions, does someone in early recovery have the capacity to be entirely honest with themselves, when not that long ago they were convincing themselves they needed another fix, drink, hit, etc. to get through the day?&lt;br /&gt;Reasons Relationships in Early Recovery are Ill Advised&lt;br /&gt;1. Relationships take the focus off of recovery. 2. Relationships take the focus off of the individual. 3. Relationships increase the potential for relapse due to emotional intensity. 4. There is too much potential for underlying issues, projections, and complexes to be creating the attraction. 5. Low self-esteem and the bargaining process of relationships make early recovery a tenuous time to enter a relationship. 6. There is a strong likelihood of outgrowing the relationship quickly. 7. In early recovery you do not really know yourself yet. 8. In early recovery you may not have a healthy understanding of what love is yet. 9. There is a strong possibility of the individual in early recovery acting on, "I want what I want when I want it." 10. In light of advice to the contrary, if you decide to enter a relationship, you are working your own program. This is self-will, and this is an addictive behavior.&lt;a href="http://e98239zmxw2cisfigapaphtv66.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top"&gt;Click Here!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Wm. Berry ©2008&lt;br /&gt;William Berry MS., CAP.Program DirectorAddiction Education Consultants&lt;a id="link_109" href="http://www.addictioneducationconsultants.com/" target="_new"&gt;http://www.addictioneducationconsultants.com&lt;/a&gt;954 306-0722&lt;br /&gt;Article Source: &lt;a id="link_110" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=William_Berry"&gt;http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Berry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-3367162093841478623?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/3367162093841478623/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/love-sex-relationships-and-early.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/3367162093841478623'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/3367162093841478623'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/love-sex-relationships-and-early.html' title='Love, Sex, Relationships, and Early Addiction Recovery'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-9185057915965704832</id><published>2009-08-19T16:01:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-15T16:06:45.628-07:00</updated><title type='text'>“What Am I Doing Wrong”?</title><content type='html'>Have you ever said this to yourself, “It seems I can’t do anything right with men.” Being a responsible person, you work hard at a fulfilling and sometimes demanding job. It’s not that you don’t try to be kind, gracious and patient, but none of that seems to be getting you anywhere. Perhaps the men you date don’t seem to appreciate you or if you’re married it might seem as though your husband seems less interested in your marriage than he did not so long ago.&lt;br /&gt;You’re open to advice, but where should you turn?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you can relate to this, there is good news. A wonderful book called, &lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;“The Woman Men Adore…and Never Want to Leave,” will show you exactly the characteristics that men find irresistible in a woman. &lt;/span&gt;The good news is that these are things that ANY woman can apply. But there is one word of warning. These insights are powerful and might seem unconventional to a woman because they were designed by a man, to affect men. Please remember this rule: &lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"&gt;What works with women does not work with men.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many women have come to this realization when they say these things, “The more I try to please him, the more distant he seems to become.”“When I ask him what’s wrong, he says nothing.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you’re a woman who feels frustrated in her relationships, there is good news. You don’t have to try harder, you simply need to know WHAT to try. What you need is a blueprint of what men find captivating in a woman and most likely did in you, as well. “The Woman Men Adore…and Never Want to Leave,” is a bestselling e-book that shows women exactly how to attract AND keep a man. This information can be yours simply by (Insert your affiliate link here&lt;a href="http://edc4ffxi0ywgtnc6w0h2fs4l6v.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top"&gt;Click Here!&lt;/a&gt; ).&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-9185057915965704832?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/9185057915965704832/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-am-i-doing-wrong.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/9185057915965704832'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/9185057915965704832'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-am-i-doing-wrong.html' title='“What Am I Doing Wrong”?'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-8440244977273662306</id><published>2009-08-17T16:21:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-15T16:22:59.004-07:00</updated><title type='text'>“Why Do Some Women Always Date Losers?”</title><content type='html'>Do you know of someone who has a pattern of always dating losers, bad boys, who always break their heart and leave them crying? For those women, oftentimes they need help in identifying the signs of such unreliable men.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Let’s define a loser as a man who is totally into himself and has little empathy for a woman’s needs. He is a man who has a pattern of sweet talking women in an attempt to sweep them off their feet and into the nearest bed. He will wine you and dine you and tell you how beautiful you are and how lucky he is to have met you. These men are very good at what they do because they’ve had a lot of practice!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These men are wonderful in the beginning of a relationship; however, in time they most always become less attached and more distant to their partner. Some never call back, others break dates and some even “forget” their wallet and their date ends up paying for the meal. Have you ever met or dated a man such as this? Perhaps he never said he loved you, and whenever you spoke about commitment, he would change the subject.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The truth is that no woman ever wakes up in the morning and says to herself, “Today I need to find a man who will hurt me.” Rather what most often happens is that many women (and men) tend to confuse intensity with reliability. They meet someone who makes them FEEL wonderful or excited and they assume that he is a good man. The problem isn’t that their feelings are wrong. What gets them into trouble is that their intense feelings often cause them to ignore bad or inconsistent behavior that they would clearly see if they were not so emotionally involved.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"&gt;What if there was a way to effortlessly attract men that were both exciting as well as dependable? Not simply a technique, but a manual that showed how successful women captivate men in such a way that they never get mistreated&lt;/span&gt;.What if information was available to transform you into the woman that men adore? Thankfully such information is available and it’s just one click away. “The Woman Men Adore…and Never Want to Leave,” shows every woman the secrets to attract and keep the man of her dreams. (Insert your link here&lt;a href="http://6f7e4bmlw5ygih0bs7d49v0nar.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top"&gt;Click Here!&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-8440244977273662306?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/8440244977273662306/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-do-some-women-always-date-losers.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/8440244977273662306'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/8440244977273662306'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-do-some-women-always-date-losers.html' title='“Why Do Some Women Always Date Losers?”'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-1174477517494937174</id><published>2009-08-17T15:31:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-17T15:46:33.463-07:00</updated><title type='text'>When it Comes to Men, Some Women Have It...and You Can Too!</title><content type='html'>Every day in my counseling office, I hear women say some variation of this: &lt;br /&gt;“In the last few years, I have had relationships with men who, at first, seemed perfect for me.  They were attentive, attractive and fun to be around.  Then suddenly, as if they knew they had reeled me in, they stopped trying.  They stopped calling as much, stopped taking me out and basically stopped the romantic dance that couples do when they are falling in love.  Was it me?  After all, I think I’m attractive, have a good personality and I work out to keep my body in nice shape.  So why then, do I always end up with the men who become “couch potatoes” at my house?  The men who would rather bring a six pack over and watch football all day and then expect me to fix dinner?  Do I suddenly turn into just a “buddy” to them, the girl next door? &lt;br /&gt;I see other women who, frankly, are not as attractive as I am or as thin as I am, who seem to get the “hot” men.  I don’t necessarily mean gorgeous men, but the men who take them to nice restaurants, bring them flowers, take them dancing and, basically, “court” them.&lt;span style="color:#660000;"&gt;  What secrets&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style="color:#990000;"&gt;do they know that I don’t, because they certainly aren’t sharing them?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Most women think a wonderful relationship is simply about finding the right man. The truth is that those women who have wonderful relationships didn’t necessarily know where to find good men, instead they attracted them. Would you like to learn how to attract and keep a wonderful man? The best way to find out probably isn’t by talking to a woman; instead, a man would be able to give you the secrets to a man’s heart.&lt;br /&gt;I’d like to share with you the secrets that men find irresistible and powerless to resist. The dirty little secret is that having a perfect body isn’t nearly as important as you have been led to believe. You can discover this incredible information by simply (insert your clickbank ID here----&gt;&gt;&gt;) clicking here.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.relationshipheadquarters.net/aff/wma-articles2.htm"&gt;More Articles &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.relationshipheadquarters.net/aff/ghb-affiliate.htm"&gt;Home&lt;/a&gt;          &lt;a href="http://www.relationshipheadquarters.net/clickbankbooksforsale/womanmenadore.htm"&gt;Sales Page&lt;/a&gt;          &lt;a href="http://www.relationshipheadquarters.net/aff/wma-income_potential.htm"&gt;Income Potential&lt;/a&gt;          &lt;a href="http://www.relationshipheadquarters.net/aff/wma-marketing_kit.htm"&gt;Marketing Kit&lt;/a&gt;          &lt;a href="http://www.relationshipheadquarters.net/aff/wma-how_do_i_begin.htm"&gt;How Do I Begin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-1174477517494937174?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/1174477517494937174/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-it-comes-to-men-some-women-have.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/1174477517494937174'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/1174477517494937174'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-it-comes-to-men-some-women-have.html' title='When it Comes to Men, Some Women Have It...and You Can Too!'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-2949299844029786217</id><published>2009-08-13T16:35:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-13T16:50:55.453-07:00</updated><title type='text'>“If Only I Could Understand Men….”</title><content type='html'>Men always say they can’t understand women, and that women are so complicated. Well, for many women, it is the exact opposite. Most would give anything to understand what makes men “tick.” Even though women want to know what he’s thinking, men are often reluctant to share what is in their hearts. What’s a woman to do?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#990000;"&gt;Rather than describe all the differences between the sexes, it is often more helpful to focus on a few areas that any woman can understand&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;1) Men are more sensitive than women. While that might sound silly, the truth is that men don’t have the ability to recover from emotional trauma as effectively as a woman. Because of this, men keep themselves from getting too upset. When a man hears he should just “let his feelings out,” what he translates that into is this, “If I let my feelings out, I might not be able to control them.”&lt;br /&gt;2) Men hate fighting. For men, conflict is not simply resolving a problem. Fighting, to a man, means one has to win and the other needs to be totally defeated. Men often prefer conflict that is non-emotional because it is less threatening to them. Once a conflict becomes emotionally charged, it is very difficult for a man to contain those feelings and the most frequent coping skill is for them to become quiet. It may seem like they are punishing you, but they are most likely trying not to lose control.&lt;br /&gt;3) Men want to get married. In spite of what many progressive cultures preach, the truth is that a majority of men in the world do get married. While the freedom of being single has its appeal, it comes with one primary drawback – it is lonely. &lt;span style="color:#990000;"&gt;While this might not sound overly romantic, finding a woman that a man can trust is just as important as finding one who is beautiful&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;If you liked these insights, there are more available in Bob Grant’s wonderful e-book called, “The Woman Men Adore…and Never Want to Leave.” Bob Grant, L.P.C., has taken his 17 years of private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Coach and condensed only the best information into a mouth-watering, powerful handbook on what men find themselves powerless to resist in a woman. You can have this information simply by (insert your clickbank ID here- ikymannet---&gt;&gt;&gt;) clicking here.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-2949299844029786217?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/2949299844029786217/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/if-only-i-could-understand-men.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/2949299844029786217'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/2949299844029786217'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/if-only-i-could-understand-men.html' title='“If Only I Could Understand Men….”'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-8547215747331877427</id><published>2009-08-12T07:43:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-12T08:00:12.050-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Importance Of Having Dynamic Relationships In The Workplace</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today’s competitive workplace is often filled with noisy disputes and legal actions, which sap the precious resources of time and capital from an organization. Since our professional connections often are forced by time and circumstance to be our social connections as well, it is important for organizations to facilitate dynamic relationships in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Change is needed in the American workplace. The organizations that promote an environment where employees and management develop good working relationships will be the winners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many of the same dynamics and difficulties exist for relationships in the workplace as do for those outside the workplace. One of the greatest losses to an organization is having no real, satisfying relationships in the workplace. Successful organizations are the ones that create an environment that encourages people to create relationships, that encourages people to be their creative, whole selves.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Having a good working relationship with a coworker means trust, and trust assumes that the other person is going to come through for you. It’s management’s job to see that everyone’s goal is to come through for one another.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In my years of consulting with organizations of all sizes and types, I have found that the stories about relationships turning disastrous in the workplace are all premised on a competitive environment. That must change if your organization is going to be successful. The workplace should be about working together, about partnership. There are very few situations in which an organization moves forward when one employee wins by making sure another one loses. If an employee knows something of value that could help everyone, but doesn’t share that information because of competition, everyone loses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The decision to explore or eschew good working relationships should not be put solely on the shoulders of each individual employee. Much of the responsibility falls on management, which must strive to make the workplace one in which supportive, non-competitive relationships can flourish.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"&gt;Employees should never be pitted against one another. They should never be made to feel unworthy or left out. The emphasis should be on cohesion and the common good, with group goals and teamwork focus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While it is managements duty to facilitate dynamic relationships in the workplace, the individual employee still has responsibilities as well. Whether working in an environment in which competition is encouraged or defused, there are certain, specific steps an individual can take to make sure good working relationships survive at work:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt;* Talk about things that are upsetting you in your work relationship.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt;* Don’t avoid the real issues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt;* Listen to each other’s point of view.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt;* Don’t try to convince the other person that you are right and he or she is wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt;*Don’t take either/or, this, you/ me positions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"&gt;* Assume that maintaining a good working relationship is as important as, if not more important than, anything happening at work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If managers and their employees all conscientiously attempt to keep the work environment clear of competition, then many potentially damaging relationship complications and crises will be more easily handled, doing much less ultimate harm to all those involved than they might otherwise do.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Quality relationships are what produce quality products and services. Real productivity begins with employees who are nourished by caring, encouraging coworkers and supervisors. It’s an atmosphere where personal creativity can really flourish.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While caring about an employee’s emotional well-being and the healthiness of his or her relationships may not be part of anyone’s “official” job description, it is a genuine key to creating quality products and services.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"&gt;It’s incumbent upon senior management in particular&lt;/span&gt; to wholeheartedly support personal growth in individuals further down the employment ladder; otherwise, an environment will persist in which growth cannot and will not take place. However, the responsibility to create a supportive environment involves all employees. Just as a CEO can be caring and encouraging, so too can an hourly employee. When it comes to understanding emotions and relationships, there are no status levels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The workplace can often be a very angry place, and the relationships there can be irreparably harmed by anger and mistrust. In fact when it comes to relationships among colleagues anger and mistrust often arise out of issues in the work relationship. A successful organization is one that faces these issues head-on, that discusses them openly and encourages good working relationships, caring, and trust.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the heart of it all is communication. The secret to healing in the workplace is to get people talking, a process not nearly as elementary as it might sound. Employees do not always want to talk about work. Often, in groups of their colleagues, they talk about themselves, who they are, what they dream about, and, what they resent and fear. They discuss things friends usually talk about, not people who happen to share the same work space.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When people reveal themselves to coworkers, when they openly discuss their feelings with honesty and compassion, when they are truly understood as individuals, the stage is set for meaningful workplace relationships between people who are real, and not just figures hurrying down a hall or across a plant floor. This, in turn, feeds and facilitates the more impersonal, yet worthy and essential goals of an organization: quality, productivity, and the bottom line.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the most part management doesn’t have to do anything extraordinary for a relationship-supportive environment to exist. If an organization offers fair compensation, has an equitable system of promotion in place, and rewards work done on its merit, the relationships in the workplace will take care of themselves. You can’t arrange people to get along with one another. That is like parents trying to select or match up their children. It can’t be done. These things, these relationships just happen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"&gt;Business is 90 percent relationships. You can’t do business without them&lt;/span&gt;. But there must be a delicate balance between relationships and friendships. For example, managers should know not to become great drinking buddies with the people they supervise. Just as they should also know not to become close friends with the chairman.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On the other hand, don’t be aloof. Maintain a positive relationship that doesn’t impose on you, the other person, or the work to be done. These are common sense things managers learn as they mature.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cultivating relationships in the workplace ultimately comes down to the individual employees. An organization can and should try to facilitate relationships in the workplace but it comes down to individual styles or individual needs as human beings. Because of the type of organization and the diversity of the workplace it will vary from workplace to workplace, manger to manager, and friend to friend.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But as we move further into the 21st Century, it may well turn out that the success of an organization pivots on its ability to tap into something very basic, something as old and entrenched as mankind itself: the need to establish relationships, to connect with someone else.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Copyright© 2005 by Joe Love and JLM &amp;amp; Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM &amp;amp; Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America’s largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reach Joe at: &lt;a id="link_109" href="mailto:joe@jlmandassociates.com"&gt;joe@jlmandassociates.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Read more articles and newsletters at: &lt;a id="link_110" target="_new" href="http://www.jlmandassociates.com/"&gt;http://www.jlmandassociates.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: &lt;a id="link_111" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joe_Love"&gt;http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Love&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-8547215747331877427?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/8547215747331877427/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/importance-of-having-dynamic.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/8547215747331877427'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/8547215747331877427'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/importance-of-having-dynamic.html' title='The Importance Of Having Dynamic Relationships In The Workplace'/><author><name>ikemefuna chuks amadiume</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483193951347387384.post-7428506950643573894</id><published>2009-08-12T02:07:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-12T02:45:52.832-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Put Some Z.I.P. Into Your Relationships</title><content type='html'>Relationships are really what makes the world go 'round, aren't they? I mean, good, positive, healthy and meaningful relationships provide us with the &lt;span style="color:#cc0000;"&gt;richest experiences&lt;/span&gt; we have here on this old earth of ours. Your loving spouse who shares everything with you; that best friend who connects with you like few others do; the people at work who appreciate you and help you to become the best that you can be; This is what brings joy to life!&lt;br /&gt;But... relationships can also be the bane of our existence! What really brings more pain in this life than a broken relationship, especially when it isn't just broken but downright ugly!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#990000;"&gt;So, it behooves us to do all that we can to keep our relationships zipping right along&lt;/span&gt;, doesn't it? If we put our very best into our relationships we can almost guarantee getting the very best out of our relationships!&lt;br /&gt;Through the years I have spent hundreds of hours working with people in their relationships: Marriages, friendships, working relationships and social relationships. Through it all I have seen some wonderful things and some terrible things. It truly is the good, the bad and the ugly!&lt;br /&gt;But I have been able to find three core elements of successful relationships. These are things that, when done over time, begin to create for you the kinds of relationships that you truly desire. They are the kinds of relationships you have always dreamed of.&lt;br /&gt;The key to remembering these three items is the acronym Z.I.P. Z.I.P. stands for three things you can do - and begin to do immediately - to improve any and all of your relationships. They are:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#cc0000;"&gt;Put some ZEST into your relationships. Cultivate more INTIMACY in your relationships. Develop a PURPOSE in your relationships.&lt;br /&gt;Let's take a closer look at each of these three:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Put some ZEST into your relationships. By Zest, I primarily mean fun. Relationships were meant to be fun! We wouldn 't have been made with the capacity to have fun if relationships weren't supposed to have a little zest in them!&lt;br /&gt;Think about it: Don't you usually start out most healthy relationships with a lot of fun times. Whether it is going out to dinner or a ballgame, or spending time playing a game or even just a lively talk, you usually have fun as a major part of the relationship. Fun is some of the glue that bonds the relationship.&lt;br /&gt;But as life goes on, specifically in a marriage, but in all relationships really, the fun starts to go by the wayside. More and more it is about getting the job done, whatever the job may be.&lt;br /&gt;To restore the relationship, to put a little zip into it, we need to reintroduce the idea of "zest."&lt;br /&gt;What about you? Have you lost the zest? What can you do to get it back? Think of a specific relationship you have: What were the fun things you did at the beginning of the relationship that acted as the glue that bonded you together? Now, commit to doing those again and see if your relationship doesn't begin to soar again! If you can, develop new fun things to do together so you can both start an adventure of fun together!&lt;br /&gt;Cultivate more INTIMACY in your relationships.&lt;br /&gt;First a couple of clarifications: One, I don't just mean intimacy in the currently common understanding, that is, sexual intimacy. I mean for all intents and purposes, taking your relationship to a deeper level. Second, I don't mean that you have to start doing group hugs with your workmates or having revelation sessions where the tissue flows freely.&lt;br /&gt;What I do mean is that every relationship that is mutually satisfying has a level of depth to it that provides meaning. This is really what the search is for in our relationships: meaning.&lt;br /&gt;Remember when you first started your relationship, whether with your spouse or friend. All of that time was spent opening up, telling who you are, where you were from, what your likes and dislikes are. There was a deep sense of satisfaction with the relationship - that is why it continued. You liked who they were and you enjoyed being known by them.&lt;br /&gt;But then something happens. We get to a certain level and the pursuit of depth ends. We stop sharing feeling, likes, and dislikes. We stop sharing joys and dreams and fears. Instead, we settle into routine. The daily grind takes over and we stop knowing one another and we simply exist together. Now don't get me wrong, every time you get together doesn't have to be deep. Remember, I am the one who advocates in the previous paragraphs just having plain old fun sometimes. But there is a need for regular times of intimate connection where we go deeper with others.&lt;br /&gt;This is particularly hard for many of the male species like myself but it is not only possible but healthy and needed! If we want to have the kinds of relationship we were made to have, we have to open ourselves up to having others know us and for us to know others.&lt;br /&gt;True meaningful relationships come when we are loved and accepted for whom we are at our core, not simply for acting the right way in our relationships so as to keep the other person in it.&lt;br /&gt;Think about the relationships you would like to see improvement in. Take some time in the coming weeks and months to spend time just talking and getting to a deeper level in your relationship. Specifically, let the other person deeper into your world. You can't force the other person to be more intimate and you certainly can't say, "Let's get together and have an intimate conversation," because that would be too contrived. But you can make a decision for yourself that you will let others into your world. Perhaps this will be the catalyst for them doing the same.&lt;br /&gt;You can guard yourself from intimacy but then you won't go much deeper and you will feel a longing in your heart for more, or you can begin the deepening process and see your relationships change for the better.&lt;br /&gt;Develop a PURPOSE in your relationships.&lt;br /&gt;The most meaningful relationships we have are those that are held together by a common purpose and vision for what the relationship can accomplish, not only for those involved but also for a greater good.&lt;br /&gt;Let's face it, when people have a common purpose they feel like they are part of a team and they feel bound together in that relationship. Even when people may be disappointed in the people they are in relationship with, if they have a purpose, such as raising the children, they are much more likely to stick it out. Purpose creates bonds.&lt;br /&gt;So what happens if we are proactively involved in seeking out a common purpose with those who we want to have a relationship with or those who we already have a relationship with but we would like to see it go deeper with? Well, it gets better and stronger.&lt;br /&gt;Think about your strongest relationships. Aren't they centered around at least one area of purpose or a common goal?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#cc0000;"&gt;What about a relationship that has cooled? Think back and see if perhaps you used to have a common purpose but it has gone by the wayside&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;And what of your desire to see a relationship grow? Take some time to begin to cultivate a common purpose. Sit down with that person and tell them that you would like to have some common goals, some purposes that you pursue together. As you develop these, you will see your relationship strengthen in ways you never imagined!&lt;br /&gt;Let's recap: You want your relationships to show a little "zip?" Then put a little Z.I.P. in them:&lt;br /&gt;Put some ZEST into your relationships. Cultivate more INTIMACY in your relationships. Develop a PURPOSE in your relationships.&lt;br /&gt;Chris Widener is an Internationally recognized speaker, author and radio host. He has authored over 450 articles and nine books, including a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-seller. He has produced over 85 CDs and DVDs on leadership, motivation and success In addition to being a featured contributing editor to the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan, Chris is a regular guest speaker receiving rave reviews! Chris demonstrates a style that is engaging and versatile while providing life-changing principles of leadership, motivation and success. If you would like to order Chris' products, including his Newest Release, The Art of Influence as well as The Angel Inside or his CD series, Winning with Influence, to subscribe to Chris Widener's Ezine or to book him to speak at your next event, go to: &lt;a id="link_108" href="http://www.chriswidener.com/" target="_new"&gt;http://www.chriswidener.com&lt;/a&gt; Contact Chris at: &lt;a id="link_109" href="http://www.chriswidener.com/speaking.asp" target="_new"&gt;http://www.chriswidener.com/speaking.asp&lt;/a&gt; or call 877-929-0439.&lt;br /&gt;Article Source: &lt;a id="link_110" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Chris_Widener"&gt;http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Widener&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: 700 10pt courier new,verdana; COLOR: #616161; TEXT-DECORATION: none; PADDING-TOP: 0px" href="http://www.blogger.com/"&gt;Ads by Google&lt;/a&gt;';&lt;br /&gt;for(i = 0; i &lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/" onmouseout="window.status=\'\'"&gt;' +&lt;br /&gt;'' + google_ads[i].line1 + '&lt;/a&gt;' +&lt;br /&gt;'' + google_ads[i].line2 + ' ' + google_ads[i].line3 + '' +&lt;br /&gt;'&lt;a class="gadu" title="' + google_ads[i].line2 + ' ' + google_ads[i].line3 + '" href="http://www.blogger.com/" onmouseout="window.status=\'\'" alt="' + google_ads[i].line2 + ' ' + google_ads[i].line3 + '" style="text-decoration:none;margin:0;padding:0;line-height:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;" onmouseover="window.status=\'\';return true;"&gt;' + google_ads[i].visible_url + '&lt;/a&gt;';&lt;br /&gt;}&lt;br /&gt;document.write('' + s + '');&lt;br /&gt;return;&lt;br /&gt;}&lt;br /&gt;google_ad_client = 'pub-3754405753000444';&lt;br /&gt;//EA-Relationships 160&lt;br /&gt;google_ad_channel = '1655184927';&lt;br /&gt;google_ad_output = 'js';&lt;br /&gt;google_max_num_ads = '10';&lt;br /&gt;google_ad_type = 'text';&lt;br /&gt;google_feedback = 'on';&lt;br /&gt;google_hints = 'relationships relationship purpose time intimacy';&lt;br /&gt;google_ad_region = 'test';&lt;br /&gt;google_skip = '1';&lt;br /&gt;// --&gt;&lt;br /&gt;google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: 700 10pt courier new,verdana; COLOR: #616161; TEXT-DECORATION: none; PADDING-TOP: 0px" id="link_111" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg?url=http://ezinearticles.com/%3FPut-Some-Z.I.P.-Into-Your-Relationships%26id%3D10381&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;client=ca-pub-3754405753000444&amp;amp;adU=www.sara-freder.com/lover&amp;amp;adT=Horoscope+Compatibility&amp;amp;adU=www.firesprings.com&amp;amp;adT=9+Dating+Mistakes&amp;amp;adU=www.NijAFriends.com&amp;amp;adT=Love+And+Relationships&amp;amp;adU=www.christianitytoday.com&amp;amp;adT=5+Kinds+of+Christians&amp;amp;adU=www.tradecarview.com&amp;amp;adT=Import+Vehicle+from+Japan&amp;amp;adU=www.AboutAstro.com&amp;amp;adT=Get+back+with+Your+Ex%3F&amp;amp;adU=www.MarriageAndGod.com&amp;amp;adT=Marriage+and+God&amp;amp;adU=www.worldslastchance.com&amp;amp;adT=Christian+Quizzes&amp;amp;adU=www.bbnsms.com&amp;amp;adT=Bulk+SMS+at+NGN2.65+only%3F&amp;amp;adU=www.Made-in-China.com&amp;amp;adT=China+Supplier+Relations&amp;amp;done=1"&gt;Ads&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7483193951347387384-7428506950643573894?l=relationshipbliss.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/feeds/7428506950643573894/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/put-some-zip-into-your-relationships.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/7428506950643573894'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/7483193951347387384/posts/default/7428506950643573894'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://relationshipbliss.blogspot.com/2009/08/put-some-zip-into-your-relationships.html' title='Put Some Z.I.P. 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