A Partnership

My Challenge Today:

A partnership …

By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC

The great marriages are partnerships.

It can’t be a great marriage without

being a partnership.

~ Helen Mirren

A partnership can be created between any loving couple that wants to form a union ~ and the particular rules of each relationship is unique to the two making the commitment. I did not have the benefit of growing up in a house with two loving parents. My parents broke up while I was still very young and I never had the opportunity to remember them together in a loving relationship. So, needless to say, I did not have a role model in this area of my life so I had to look elsewhere to reinforce a vision and create a belief that it’s truly possible.

I have found many wonderfully married couples over the years to hold in my heart as inspiration for myself, to remind me that it is possible to have a healthy, loving relationship even though my parents did not. I firmly believe that when one seeks to do something that they have never done before, it’s wise to find a role model, someone that has achieved the very thing that you are seeking. Use them as your mentor, your inspiration and spirit guide ~ emulate their behavior, pick their brain and do what they do. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to become a better sales person, a more accomplished musician or a better spouse ~ find a role model and begin your journey there.

Having a clear set of goals, expectations and boundaries is essential to developing a healthy partnership. There are countless books, blogs and DVD’s on the subject of healthy relationships providing valuable food for thought. From what I read and have experienced, the challenges of relationship are many and the solutions are as well. I believe that it is wise to develop a healthy relationship with one’s self in ~  body, mind and spirt to prepare for a healthy relationship with another and developing a mindfulness meditation practice is a helpful tool.

A partnership and healthy relationship are greatly benefited by ~

• Clear commitment and communication
• Caring, giving and taking
• Respect and responsibility
• Honesty, vulnerability and intimacy
• Learning and growing