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Finding the Best Marriage Advice - Trust Your Instincts

It is obvious that many people have lost their way. This is especially obvious when it comes to marriages. Look into many families and you will find misunderstanding, resentment, suppressed anger, and hurt feelings. Husbands and wives argue. Parents and kids yell at each other. Communication is poor or nonexistent. Even worse, families are breaking up and divorces are rampant.

It is clear that people need the right kind of guidance. But if I may be so bold as to say so--it appears that the information and advice they are getting now is somehow lacking. Today there is so much relationship information on the internet, in books, from experts, and in courses. Yet family break ups and divorce are on the rise. Today there is more information and yet more problems. I am not knocking the various sources of information; I am just saying that something must be missing.

Where will we turn to find the kind of knowledge that will help us solve our problems once and for all, instead of just endlessly "working on our relationship?" Where will we find the kind of knowledge that will heal our relationships, restore our marriage, return the hearts of the children to the parents, and build a strong family?

Perhaps you have heard that long ago--when a young couple had marriage issues--a grandmother, a Dutch uncle, or an old and trusted friend would be called in. Often that person had common sense, patience and understanding. They had a mysterious know-how. They had kindness, perhaps a twinkle in their eye. They bore good will: they really and truly wanted the best to happen. They did not experiment with theories or approaches. Their guidance was solidly grounded in common sense, patience, and understanding.

That is what we need today. We need understanding. The question is where did the older and wiser person get their understanding? From a book? No, it came from within. Understanding was the missing ingredient, which tempered everything and showed them how to apply any experience they had gained.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could find understanding to deal with your marriage and family issues? If you had understanding yourself then you could solve your own problems. And if when you got information from external sources, your understanding and common sense would permit you to see which advice is good and which is not. If you had understanding, then you could listen to what others have to say and sift the wheat from the chaff. You would know what to do with your knowledge, and how to apply it with love and proper timing. Sound too good to be true? Keep reading and I will show you the source of understanding, available to you now. I say that we can find this insight and deep understanding within when we learn to relate to our God-given intuition. In the light of intuition, you would begin to see the reason why we squabble. Let me give you a few clues.

For example, you would begin to understand the mystery of the relationship between the sexes. It is an ancient and reoccurring cycle of ambition, rebellion, and failing. Just as in the story of the Garden of Eden, the woman is still used today to entice and support her modern day Adam to be ambitious. When Adam looks to the woman and guile for support, instead of to principle, paradise is lost and the family suffers. She feels used and he feels trapped and betrayed. Without understanding of the real dynamics in the man-woman relationship, people continue to hate and blame each other. Forgiveness is truly the answer. But in order to forgive, we must have insight into the deep dynamics behind all the squabbling we see in families. We simply need to see, really see, where we are failing and why. When you see that we humans are all in the same boat, you could be more forgiving toward your mate instead taking everything personally.

In order to do this, what we need is a very special kind of knowledge called understanding. You cannot get understanding from a book, even a religious book. Understanding comes from intuition-what we know in our heart-when we look within and trust what we know in our heart as our authority, instead of looking to worldly experts. Intuition is first hand and alive. External knowledge applied without understanding is second hand and lifeless. External knowledge is useful when it awakens understanding. Of course you can listen to what others have to say; just remember to run it by your gut instincts to see if it sits right with your intuition.

When it comes to marriage and family relationships, we need to understand why we fight. We need to understand our own inherent pride and see what is wrong with it. With understanding, we can observe our own failings with compassion. We need to understand what other's true needs are. We need to understand that most of the time your loved ones are not being cruel on purpose. They are out of control.

The family is the bedrock of civilization. The relationship between the man and the woman, within the institution of holy matrimony holds the key to happiness, prosperity, and domestic tranquility.

The family is the matrix in which the next generation comes forth, and it is the family which supports, nurtures and maintains the best of what it means to be a human.

Yet everywhere you look in the world--you see families boiling over with intrigue, betrayal, cruelty, suffering, and misery. Each and every couple starts off expecting to be happy. But something goes wrong. We need to understand why.

The kind of knowledge I have in mind is found within. It is intuition. Some call it their highest instincts, some call it a gut level knowing. Some describe it as what they know in their heart. Even common sense is a basic form of this intuitive understanding. It is just what we need.

Look at it this way. Let's say a delicate situation arose between you and your mate, or between you and your child. Suppose that out of disinterested love of what is right, you really and truly yearned with all your heart to know what to do. Let us suppose that you passed up on the quick angry response. You did not reach for a slogan, verse, or memorized one-size-fits-all fact to misapply. You heard but did not mindlessly follow the advice of other misguided souls or strangers. Instead, you waited and looked into your heart for wordless intuition.

Then whatever you did or did not say, or did or did not do, would be based in intuition, love, and common sense. It would spring from a deep and limitless source. It would be rooted in rightness, love and principle. Its motivation would be selfless love, not expediency.

Your mate and your child would see the face of love: they would sense your quiet searching for what is right instead of seeking to win or impatiently looking for a quick fix. The mere fact that they become aware of the presence of love already begins to restore right relationships.

Our families suffer for lack of this kind of knowledge. The one who is most to blame is the husband. It is his job to be the leader, the Moses, the David of the family. It is his job to be a man of impeccable honor, courage, patience, understanding, kindness, forbearance, and graciousness and wisdom. Father is supposed to have understanding, and everything he does should be tinged with love and understanding. There is no way that he can be the man he needs to be unless he finds an invisible bond with the Creator Within. He must be so grounded in principle and faith, that there is no wavering, no failing, and no room for a lack of commitment to what is right.

He must be stronger than the world. But if he is woman centered, if women are the ground of his being and if his wife is his boss (or she lets him be the boss), then he will not be grounded in good. Instead he will be a beast man, violent or wimpy, grounded in the woman, and beyond her in the serpent of old who tempted man through Eve.

My heart goes out to the decent women everywhere. They are tempted to take charge because of the weakness of the man. They are tempted by his weakness to support and console his prideful ego. Men require it of women. And when she gains power because of his nothingness and growing weakness, she is then called upon to nag him to get him to function.

When he greedily goes for her love offerings, first with excitement then with resentment, he becomes enslaved. And when he is enslaved by the temptation that he wanted from her, he is full of rage. The weak angry man goes off to another woman or to the bottle. The man who takes on her nature marries his work, money or becomes a seducer.

All the while, the children are suffering. Men need to have a thorough knowledge of their own weakness. They need to see just why they must not fail. They need to see why they must be principled and honorable.

Women need to see that the Adam and Eve story is recreated over and over again. They need to see that, yes, most men are weak and failures. But she must learn not to resent them for it. She must see her own role in tempting him and rising to the occasion of his need to gain power over him. She must see why she must not support him in his wrong, on the one hand, but must also not give him such a hard time that he doesn't have the space to find himself.

When you resent your husband, that resentment blocks understanding. In other words, when you become resentful or angry, you are disconnected from love. And love is what intuition has in it. Now you know what understanding is the missing factor. It has love in it. It is missing when couples resent each other; and it is missing when we try to apply external knowledge egotistically.

Perhaps a good starting point would be to just realize that your husband is just a man, and judging and nagging him will only stand in the way of his finding himself.

Men, you must see that you must not look to your wife to support your ego. Look within. You must look to no one except your Creator for the strength, wisdom and understanding that you do not now have but will need if you are to be the kind of husband and father that your family needs.

Husbands and wives: regardless of what your situation is, begin right now to be more forgiving. Drop your grudges. If others are wrong, see their wrong, but don't hate them for it. Let go of judgment. Make it unimportant. You yourself become wrong through resentments and holding grudges. When you let go of judgment and blame, you will then be free to see what the real truth is. Do you see how intuition leads to understanding, and understanding to love?

Roland Trujillo M.S., life coach and author, is Director of the Center For Common Sense Counseling and host of the popular Coach Roland internet radio show on Blogtalk Radio. Coach Roland offers solutions and tools for dealing with stress, letting go of baggage from the past, and healing relationships. Roland knows that resentment underlies many of our stress and relationships issues. Roland says: "Love is the answer, but to find love we must let go of resentment." Find out more by visiting http://www.rolandtrujillo.com. For marriage issues, visit http://www.commonsensecouples.blogspot.com. You will find free resources and valuable information. Coach Roland has been helping people for 20 years. Perhaps his common sense approach can help you too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roland_Trujillo

 

My Wife Cheated on Me - Now What?

This question is coming up more and more. I am very sorry to hear this. It is much more common nowadays than before. Many, if not most, women are now in the workforce. There are a lot of temptations out there. Also, many people have a different view of marriage today than people did years ago. Today we have been shown on television, movies, and in music, and we have even been taught and counseled that marriage is about having our needs met.

Actually, marriage is a framework for raising a family and in which to learn how not to be selfish.

I've written some articles and posts about the issue of unfaithful husbands. So I guess it's time to talk to men about the issue of unfaithful wives. I've been talking to people about relationships for 20 years on the radio, written a a couple of books and more than a few articles and blog posts, and my wife and I just celebrated our silver wedding anniversary, so I've got as much right as the next guy to write about this topic.

So here is my response. First the short answer.

If you just found out, stay calm. Do not do anything rash. Go about your business, do your duty, go to work, be there for your kids. You've heard the old expression "stand back and count to ten." Well, stand back and maybe let a few weeks go by. As time passes the initial anger will diminish. Watch out for resentment. Let reason rule.

It takes a real man to stay the course and respond with calm reason instead of anger. There is value in being able to talk it out. Most communities have government, nonprofit, church, or volunteer organizations focusing on men's issues, marriage or anger management. Avail yourself of any that are helpful. There are also resources available on the internet.

Long term you don't want to become dependent on external support, but right now reading, talking it out, and getting good feedback from someone knowledgeable with understanding are very helpful.

If it happened a few months or years ago, and it is still sticking in your craw, it means that you are still resentful. Watch out for resentment. Stand back and when you see it rising, observe it from the neutral zone and let it pass.

Now the longer answer.

The advice I have given to women in this circumstance (where a spouse has been unfaithful) is just as fitting for men. Basically, the woman has to deal with resentment and judgment. If she can let go of these, then she will be spiritually and emotionally safe. It is resentment that hurts us more than what the other person did to us.

Resentment ruins everything. But if you can let go of the resentment, you will be okay. Moreover, when the mind is clear and not clouded with resentment and bitterness, you will be able to see what is reasonable and wise to do. Remember, resentment robs us of joy and many other things.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of letting go of resentment.

In circumstances of an unfaithful spouse, the woman's main spiritual issues are letting go of resentment and judgment. The man faces a much bigger challenge because of what husband and father represent. You see, husband or father has a very special role. He holds a station in life. He holds the office of husband and if there are kids, the office of father.

In the eyes of children, father stands in for God. Can you see why it is so devastating when a father fails?

Husband or father is supposed to be like the George Washington or Moses of the family. He stands for what is right. He cannot have any vices. He must be principled, honorable, wise, patient, long suffering, and kind.

He has to be as steady as the ticking of a grandfather clock in a thunderstorm. If others become upset, he remains calm and reasonable. If others fail him, he does not fail them.

Most dads are a little weak. They say the right things, but say them too weakly. He must not be there to win a popularity contest. He has to stand for what is right and persist even in the face of rebellion. But he must not be angry. He must always have a twinkle in his eye.

Many men clam up, but are angry and resentful underneath. When they do finally speak up, their message is tainted and ruined by the pent up anger. Feeling guilty, he may clam up again or sit on the sidelines while the family goes to ruin.

A man simply cannot avoid his duty without harming the family. That is why he must learn to stand for what is right with patience and firmness and kindness.

He has to be there for his wife and children. They need a very special love from him: emotionless agape love. A man cannot have this love if he is selfish or unprincipled. Nor can he have this love for them if he is a womanizer or tries to make his wife into his mother. He must not look for ego support from the world. He must look within and find a bond with what he knows in his heart.

He will then not need love. He will give love. He must love principle more than anything, even his wife.

However if you think about it for a moment, you will see that this is the man she can trust. She knows he will always be there for her and she knows he will never be unfaithful (because he does not need the love of a woman, a drug, or some worldly support). This is the man she can respect and perhaps even love.

Now, gentlemen, most wives are aware of their husband's weaknesses before they get married, but she hopes that he will become the noble knight she needs. And once within the confines of marriage, the nobly inclined man will become aware of his failing her in some mysterious way.

He will search his heart and out of true love for her and the children, he will see what they need from him. He will learn to be less selfish, and eventually one day, unselfish. He will begin to fail less, and one day not fail at all.

She will see his nobility, his heart felt efforts, and his love of principle. With this man, there is hope.

Of course, there are some women who will not take kindly to his new inner authority, and she will most likely resent him even when he is right. If she is a permanent hater, then she will make his life as miserable as possible. If he remains noble, she will probably go off to find someone else. If this happens, so be it.

Before you jump to any conclusions, let me say this: you cannot know what is in your wife's heart until you straighten up and fly right. First you must become right. Only then might your noble love draw forth the good in her.

Many women have been so used and unloved that they cannot imagine or believe that a man can be noble. She may test him and give him a hard time for years (or decades). If he is tested and not found wanting, he will win her heart. They will become very good friends and live happily ever after.

As I said, most men are weak (or weak and violent). Their weakness literally tempts the wife and kids to rebel. So if you have been weak or selfish, before looking at other's wrong, first look at your own. See your part in what has gone wrong and repent of it.

Many wives had a father who was not there for her. She resented him and went out in the world looking for love. What she got was use and abuse at the hands of boyfriends. Since all men failed her, she expects that he husband will too (though a good woman will hope her husband won't fail her).

Perhaps you can see why the man needs to have the wisdom of Solomon and perfect self control. All men have failed, but that is not an excuse for more failing. You must find the way to fail less.. I cannot say what to do in any particular circumstance. There are just too many particular situations. But I can speak in general terms.

Generally divorce is not a good thing. Sometimes a separation may be of some help, so that both sides can find themselves and get their bearings, but maybe not.

Please note that my comments are directed to the typical situation where both are good people, not perfect of course, but decent. If your spouse is extremely disturbed, violent or criminal, you will need to protect the children and get professional help and assistance from the authorities.. If there is a divorce, it is best not to begin the process yourself. If your wife divorces you, you will then not be guilty for having begun it.

If you have only been married for a short time, things might be worked out, but if there is not true marriage, then going your separate ways may be best.

But when there are children, everything changes. Now the man is both husband and father.

I recently heard a man tell about his father who he loved deeply. His mom was not a nice lady and she made a lot of trouble. He stayed there for the children and was a good father to them. He suffered for decades, but never hated his wife and never complained. The children loved him dearly.

You see, the children were aware of his suffering. They saw his sacrifice and nobility. And they loved him all the more. It didn't matter what mom did. Father was there for them.

But if he had walked out on her and them, what would be foremost in their minds would not be what mom did, but what he did. He quit on them.

Dear Sir, I know that infidelity is a severe test. But just as there can be no courage without danger, so likewise there can be no character without a test of that character. A final word. Sometimes we do the right thing by simply not doing the wrong thing. Someone can tempt you to do something wrong or foolish. Just don't do it and you are safe. Always do what you know is right in your heart.

Roland Trujillo writes and speaks about healing relationships. Roland says: "Love is the answer, but to find love we must let go of resentment." For marriage issues, visit http://www.commonsensecouples.blogspot.com. You will find free resources and valuable information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roland_Trujillo

 

My Husband Cheated on Me and Won't Be Honest

I often write about surviving an affair in your marriage, so I sometimes get emails asking for my opinion or my help. The other day, I received one from a woman who stated that "my husband has cheated on me but he refuses to be honest about it." After a bit of prodding, I was able to determine that this wife only suspected her husband was cheating (with pretty good reason) but the husband was just continuing to adamantly deny that anything had happened.

Now, I also often get emails that say virtually the same thing, but in those cases, the husband has admitted to the affair, but refuses to be honest with the wife about the specifics of the cheating - why it happened, where it happened, how it happened, etc.

So, I'm not sure which of these situations you may be in, but my hope is that this article will help wives in either situation to bring about some honesty and some healing whether the cheating really happened or not.

If You Know For Sure Your Husband Has Cheated, But He Still Won't Be Honest About The Specifics: Sometimes, there's no denying that the husband has cheated. He's either admitted it, you've caught him, or the circumstances leave little room for doubt. Still, he refuses to come clean with the details. When you ask how, or why, or when, he changes the subject or just flat our refuses to talk about it. This can be very frustrating as you will have a very hard time moving on if you don't know exactly what you're dealing with and why.

Understand though, that many men keep the details of the affair to themselves because they think they are sparing you more pain or they think that the less they bring up or talk about the affair, the quicker that all of this is going to go away. Both you and I know this logic is extremely faulty, but this is their thinking just the same.

The best way to handle this is to try to lay the foundation that you aren't going to use the details to ignite the situation even worse or to punish your husband even more. Explain that you need to know these things because they will help you understand the contributing circumstances of the affair and deal with them appropriately. And, if you want to save the marriage, you will absolutely need a very firm handle on why the affair happened so that you can prevent leaving your marriage vulnerable again.

That said, there are going to be other things that you will need from your husband if you want to save the marriage (his taking full responsibility, his being accountable and available, his cutting off all contact with the other woman, and his giving you the patience, affection, and reassurance you need to heal.) Feel free to show you husband this article if you think it will help him understand that you really need this information for your own healing.

If You Think Your Husband Is Cheating, (But Have No Concrete Proof ) And He Refuses To Be Honest And Tell The Truth About The Affair: This one is lot trickier. Let's say that every fiber in your being is telling you your husband is having an affair. Let's even concede that his behavior is unbelievably suspicious, but when you confront him, he acts as if you are crazy or delusional and continues to deny it. Bear with me when I say this, but if you are really still in this marriage and want to save it, you have to be very careful how you proceed here.

Yes, if your husband is truly having an affair, you deserve and need to know it, but many perfectly good marriages have been ruined because one party allowed their unsubstantiated suspicions to get out of control. Here's the better way to handle it.

Once you've asked your husband and he has denied it, then come at him another way. First, try to remain as calm and as rational as you can. Assure him that you aren't trying to "catch" or "corner" him. Just say that, if he were having an affair, you'd want to know so that you can heal the marriage because the distance is really hurting you and the marriage. He needs to know that you aren't just waiting to pounce as soon as the bomb is dropped.

If this doesn't work, here's yet another angle. Say that you love him and value the marriage, but you feel a distance and mistrust developing between you. Ask him if he would be willing to work with you to make things better. Suggest spending more time together or getting away. A husband who is not having an affair is probably going to be very receptive to this (subject to scheduling, of course). A husband who is having an affair will likely balk or make excuses. (Note: if your husband says he's tied up or busy, but is receptive to planning a get away in the future, give him the benefit of the doubt unless he cancels.)

Here's the bottom line. Until you know for sure that your husband is having an affair, try to restrain yourself from being overly aggressive or accusing him without proof. Because acting this way is only going to push your husband away or make an affair (or it's continuing) much more likely. And, if you're looking for evidence, make absolutely sure he doesn't know. Because suspicion is just another form of dishonesty which can seriously damage a marriage without cause.

The best thing to do is to request your husband's help in strengthening the marriage. If he isn't having an affair, it's a win / win situation anyway. If he is, this is likely to come out as you move forward in this plan. Either way, working on your marriage will put you in a better position no matter which situation is ultimately the truth.

My husband was not completely honest with all of the details about the affair at first. He thought he was sparing my feelings. With a little work though, we were able to work through it and knowing the truth helped in my healing. Today, our marriage is stronger than ever. I no longer worry my husband will cheat again. You can read my very personal story on my blog at http://surviving-the-affair.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katie_Lersch

 
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