This is a very different style of Blog post than I typically do. But being that it is February and the month dedicated to love; both of self and others. I thought I would share with you something that has made a huge difference in my relationship as well as for others that I have shared the idea with. This tool is a great way to improve communication and show your love and appreciation all year long.
Everyone wants to feel appreciated. We hear a lot about this in the traditional work place setting but its applicable in every aspect of life and in my opinion it is most valuable within our personal relationships. When I began my transformation my partner struggled with feelings of uncertainty; as I changed my life where would that leave him? Would he be left behind? As I poured love and attention into my own well-being it became apparent quite quickly that I also needed to put the work into our relationship to re-affirm my love and appreciation for him. Initially I did feel a smidge of resentment and a bit of defensiveness and thought ‘why do I have to be the one to take initiative?’ ‘He should already know how I feel’. But let me tell you, creating this message board has benefited me just as much as him. Love is not selfish and the energy you put out will always come back to you. When you change your life you have the power to motivate others around you to change as well, I chose to do that with love.
What you will need: A picture frame (I picked up a cheap one from the Dollar Store) or you can use a notebook and pen, a white board marker, and a print out or written paper that reads ‘I love you because…’ to put inside the frame.
Step 1 – Brainstorm reasons why you love your partner. I made an initial list of 90 different things in a matter of minutes and kept them on my phone. Some were serious, other’s humorous and sarcastic, while other ideas were generated on the fly based on the day. Having a pre-made list makes this an effortless task, every day I just pulled out my list and wrote out a new reason. Once all the reasons were used I generated another list.
Step 2 – Find a place for the frame, visible to your partner like a night stand or bathroom counter
Step 3 – Write a reason on the outside of the frame with an erasable marker. Erase and add a new one every day or every other day, however often you decide and are able to
Step 4 – Sit back and watch your relationship flourish! What I wrote often dictated what the day would look like. For example, I once wrote “I love you because you play with Emersen and make her laugh” What did he do that day? he made time to play with our daughter and make her giggle. It’s honestly magic! Another time I wrote “I love you because you put washer fluid in my car” he hadn’t… but he got the hint. Now this isn’t meant as a manipulation tool but you can totally have fun with it!
