by India Bonham

A Great Relationship Role Model is Right under all of Our Noses

Here’s a cool thing in the light of recent events, Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks’ article written about Michele and Barack Obama’s relationship and how it’s a hidden benefit for us all. See it all here on The Huffington Post.

The Hendricks’ have a running series called the Body Politic and share their observations from their ability to read body language.

The 5 Stages of a Relationship

Chelle, who is the founder and main author of It Might Be Love posted a great little list of the 5 stages any great relationship goes through. I love that Chelle reminds us that even the best relationships have their share of ups and downs and that these challenges have the potential to bring two people even closer in their mutual connection. Let’s get to her 5 stages! Touching on Chelle’s stage number 3, which is the conflict stage of relationship, no relationship seems to be immune from going through some type of difficulty. Despite the fact that items just between the two of you may or may not cause conflicts, oftentimes outside factors alone can be the source of them (outside factors could be family, financial pressure, etc.). I am sure you may agree that at times, things can seem to go so wrong and so quickly, but the healthy relationship will soldier on and find solutions for conflicts, maintaining communication and also will seek professional help if the problems continue according to Chelle.

What’s the good news, you ask? Stage 4! It’s the unconditional love stage. After working things out in stage 3, this can be the most happy and comfortable period for the two involved since even if they’ve agreed to disagree on some things, they totally accept each others flaws and treat any future problems with maturity and with respect to each other. No matter what happens, the understanding is that each individual is there for each other, through the high points and the low points. According to Chelle, all healthy unions will make it to stage 4 unless neglect of stage 5 should kick in. Can you guess what stage 5 is about? See if your guess is correct by checking out Chelle’s “Stages of a Healthy Relationship” at It Might Be Love.

Sacred Relationships

Finally, check out this blog post: Is Your Relationship a Positive Reflection of You? I agree with psychotherapist Mary Jo Rapini when she writes that respect, trust, communication and sharing with your primary loved one are all extremely important in order to keep things glowingly good between you. She also says that deciding with whom to have a relationship with is one of the most cherished gifts you can give to yourself. However, she cautions we mustn’t forget that “the most sacred of all relationships is the one we have with ourselves.” Wow! I urge you to check out the full post to see just what she means by that. It can be found on Heart and Soul with Mary Jo.