Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

A MARITAL TUNE-UP I am delighted to share today's blogpost with you from a reader who shares her findings on ways to 'create sparks that last' in her marriage. https://unsplash.com/@claudialam Although Stuart and I share a lot in common, we have come to learn from each other as well. From Stuart, his thoughtful and considerate ways. From me, my humor, laughter, and how to lighten up. April 15 th , 2022 marked our 39 th  wedding anniversary. Just. That. Fast. Both recently retired—not together; we read not to do it together—we became hyper-aware of a new phase in our lives and marriage. It was as though we were left holding a simmering love, one becoming all too familiar (Storge) instead of our once robust, romantic and physical love. Our minds and bodies were struggling with this shift: How to keep ‘us’ alive as we aged when it seemed we were on a fast track to becoming roommates. Stuart and I decided to seek counseling in order to make an immediate change in the direction

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?  https://unsplash.com/@danielmingookkim Deep questions for sure. Let me start by asking you how often you find yourself having a heated discussion in your thoughts? How often do you find yourself defending your actions internally, in your mind? Okay, enough with the questions, I'm sure you get the picture. It happens in a millisecond. We do or think something that we feel someone will criticize and we immediately prepare our defense. Crazy right? I've caught myself doing this countless times and am more aware than ever to stop my thoughts in their tracks and remind myself that it's simply not true and there is no reason for defense. Just as importantly, I've started reminding myself that whatever the action is that I 'think' someone might criticize me for, is an action I am quite *entitled to take and need not feel defensive in the first place. *Provided you're not hurting another being. https://unsplash.com/@nkuutz You are free

Looking For Guest Bloggers About 6 months ago I had a very successful month of guest bloggers to freshen up our feed. I’d like to offer that opportunity again for the month of August.  https://unsplash.com/@arnelhasanovic You may think it’s far in advance, but from experience, I know it took a while to format and edit each article. So if this is something you’d be interested in doing, I’d love to hear from you. Topics my blog typically publishes revolve around all dynamics of relationships: ➡️ Relationship with ourself can include - • Self-care • Self-awareness • Setting boundaries • Finding voice • Anything related to personal growth ➡️ Romantic relationships - my topics don’t typically discuss intimacy - • Date nights • Communication • Shared goals • Individual interests incorporated into the relationship • Anything that helps couples strengthen their connection ➡️ Platonic relationships - • Friendships • Colleagues • Any adult relationship that is not family or romantically involved

Unsure what that even means? I invite you to read on... This is what mindbodygreen.com interprets a conscious relationship to mean: A conscious relationship is a romantic relationship in which both partners feel committed to a sense of purpose, and that purpose is growth.  Individual growth. Shared growth as a couple.  Collective growth that makes the world a better place. You can read the rest of their article at the following link: The 4 Qualities of a Conscious Relationship I would add that a conscious relationship is not limited to a romantic connection, but also extends to family and friends as the two are intrinsically linked as I will illustrate below. https://unsplash.com/@_visalliart I've recently had the absolute pleasure of reading a number of books related to all topics of connection in our lives. Each one shows how irrefutably our network of relating to each other stems from our perception of connection. ≽ Quoted from Stronger Connections by Rosie Kendall: People wil

Q & A  Friday  Recently, I put a question to readers on my social media, asking what they wanted to know about relationships and/or personal growth. The two go hand-in-hand in my opinion. If you'd like to contribute to this post for next week's blog, click here:   Your Burning Questions Answered Are you growing apart or tightening your connection? https://unsplash.com/@joshhild Reader Question #1 How do we know when to call it quits? Every relationship has its ups and downs. It has to. For growth. You cannot grow in a stalemate standoff where conversation doesn't enter that 'difficult' realm. If you enter into a relationship with a growth mindset it is inevitable that you will come up against resistance in your endeavour to understand yourself, and your partner, better. Because stepping out of situations that are comfortable, makes us feel insecure and if your partner is unsure of stepping onto new territory with you, you will feel restricted in your growth and

3 Month Book Birthday, That Is (And my sister 👸 [not 3 months]) It's been a monumental week in the life of EN ROUTE. She passed her 3-month mark as a self-published memoir, which, incidentally, means that Amazon no longer feels the need to prop her up for visibility. So, in real terms, she's passed to the next level of independence as a self-published book! Hooray for EN ROUTE 🎉🥳 Book Blast: As is fitting for any birthday party, we celebrated in style. She had a blast! No really, a real BOOK BLAST! Duffy the Writer published a beautiful Book Blast for EN ROUTE.  You can read it at the link:  Book Blast for EN ROUTE by Duffy the Writer Or the short version here:  Shortened Book Blast Mother's Day Giveaway Another huge celebration for EN ROUTE was a giveaway for Mother's Day and I couldn't have asked for a more deserving winner! This mum literally took time out of her busy #mumlife while her daughters were sleeping, to read EN ROUTE. That's a true Mother's

Relationship Habits for Greater Happiness I am so excited to introduce our guest blogger to you today! Cheri Timko is a Couples Relationship Expert who helps individuals strengthen their relationship with their current partner. Quoted from Cheri’s blog: Cheri Timko: A relationship habit is something built into our lives that we do automatically. That doesn't mean thoughtlessly. We still have to show up for that event.  The benefit of making these things habits is that we don't have to work so hard to come up with new ideas in order to connect with our partner - the opportunities to connect are already built into the relationship. You still need to show up with intention and emotion, but the opportunity is already there. Read the full article on her blog at the link below: 3 Relationship Habits for Greater Happiness Instagram Live with Cheri Timko I'm even more excited to tell you that we will get a chance to chat with Cheri on Instagram next week.  I have set a reminder on