Salvage a marriage: Relationship mistakes cause pain of divorce.
January 2, 2008 Uncategorized No CommentsDivorce rates are at an all-time high. Many couples are going through the pain of a dysfunctional marriage. You also have to take into account the number of divorces that are stopped before they get too far. You’re not alone in experiencing the pain of divorce.
I often get guys asking me “How can I pull it back from disaster?” or “How do I get the marriage back to love and happiness?” While every divorce has different people, values and circumstances, there are some core errors that people often to make when trying to salvage a marriage.
I want to help you stop these mistakes and create positive outcomes instead.
Here are some common relationship mistakes that can really accelerate a divorce, and some ideas you can use to change habits and eliminate some of the pain of divorce.
Reassurance - “I’ll change. I swear!”
So what works? How can you reassure her? There really isn’t much you can say. So why say anything? That is right; don’t try to reassure her. Actions speak louder than words. Show strength and positivity in your dealings with your wife, and do what needs to be done without talking about your intentions.
Tread lightly and carry a big stick.
Emotional blackmail - “I love you so much!”
Yea, I know you’re sincere about this. But it’s such an obvious fall back. She’ll feel pressured, and emotionally blackmailed. Especially if she does love you and is just hiding it, it’ll just push her farther away because she’ll feel like you’re targeting her emotional soft-spot. And that’ll just make things worse. “I love you” is one of the most powerful sentences in any language. But power applied in the wrong way can cause disasters. Especially in a fragile relationship.
So can you tell them how you feel? While you may feel the urge to blurt “I love you”, it’ll often it’s best NOT to use it while you’re both in such a delicate circumstance. Save that for better times and high points, .when you can both grasp the words with a clear head.
Arguing – “But you promised …”
Using logic or guilt to change your wife’s mind is the surest way NOT to salvage a marriage. Being defensive and hypocritical is counter-productive. The more you argue the more she’ll lock up. If you’re negative, she’ll do the same. Needing to win is counter-productive. Trying to force unnatural change can be like digging your way out of a hole.
So how can you salvage a marriage without discussion and arguments? Once again, don’t do it! Getting drawn into an argument is one of the biggest relationship mistakes you can make at this point. Arguments completely mess up a fragile situation.
Don’t solve the problem? It doesn’t make sense, right? Fix something by not fixing it? But it works! Don’t defend yourself … she’ll be reluctant to come after you if you just hand over the victory. In this case, you have nothing to gain by winning.
This dissolves the hostility. The root cause of the problem can only be addressed once the hostility and defensiveness and urge to WIN is taken away. That’s the only time when a solution will work itself out ..
That’s right, the problem solves itself. You don’t need to fix it; both of you will start to change to solve the problems. As opposed to before, where you would both be too stubborn and unwilling to budge. As corny as it sounds, love really is the answer. But you’ve both got to put your egos aside first.
These are just a few ideas to avoid the pain of divorce. Of course every situation is different and your case may require a slightly different approach. But I’m hopeful that this will help many of you avoid common relationship mistakes.
Good luck!
Tags: salvage a marriage, relationship mistakes, pain of divorce
