Relationships Advice

Successful Relationships

My second wife threatened to divorce me.
It was one of the best things that ever happened in our relationship
– but not for why you think!

 

In the 7th chapter of my book, Find the Upside of the Down Times, I talk about relationships, particularly with my wife Clair who passed away some years ago (that’s chapter 8!) Anyway, early in our relationship, Clair started to notice little things I did that made her uncomfortable. Well, they seemed like little things to me!

Here is one example. I would usually get up first in the morning to take a shower. I would turn on the water, push a button to get the water to flow up to the shower nozzle, let it run until it got hot, and hold my hand in the water until it was the right temperature. Then I would get in, take my shower, and turn the water off.

Clair would get up later to take a bath. (Can you see it coming?) She would lean into the tub, holding her hand under the spigot to test the temperature, turn on the water, and get splashed in the head from the shower. She would scream, “Rob!” And I would respond, “Well, Clair, don’t stick your head in there!” She would say, “You never do it my way. You don’t care about what I want,” and I would respond, “That has nothing to do with it. It’s just a shower!” This would go on, day after day.

Lots of “little things” in relationships

There were lots of other “little things” in our relationship. At least I thought they were little. I didn’t squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube. I squeezed it in the middle. I put the toilet paper on backwards whenever I remembered to replace it at all. At least she said it was backwards. Of course, I also left the toilet seat up. I’m a guy!

There is more to this story in the chapters in my book about relationships but below is a 23 minute video tape of a talk I gave recently where I talk about these types of challenges relationships, both small and big, inevitable face. I explore how important it is to know what we require in our relationships, whether at work or at home, that is not negotiable or debatable, because everything else is just a preference. And you don’t go to war over a preference!

Watch the Video – There’s so much more….

Once the video starts, move your cursor off the video so you can see text that has been added. You can bring the cursor back over the video anytime to access the controls. I appreciate any comments or sharing if you like about how these ideas work for you. Thanks again for your interest and support.