Valentine’s Day is just days away, and, while this week can be fun and exciting for those who are in happy, healthy relationships or having a great time dating, it’s generally not the case for people who are feeling lonely.
Valentine’s Day can be a painful reminder of a relationship that has ended, a love that’s been lost, or of how much a relationship has changed. If you are feeling lonely this Valentine’s Day, there are a few things you can do to help transform this time from one of pain to one of hope and new beginnings.
If you’re single, and you’ve experienced a breakup or some other type of heartache, it can be difficult to work through all of the feelings of loss and pain. In fact, at times, you may feel paralyzed by fear and sadness, terrified to move forward and risk allowing anyone to get that close to you again.
Being stuck in the past only robs you of your ability to experience peace, happiness, and love. Staying stuck is a choice.
If you’re ready to leave the pain and heartache from a previous relationship in the past, join Michelle and me for the “Ready to Love Again” webinar we will be hosting on Thursday, February 13th* . On this free webinar, we will be looking at why it can be difficult to move past a heartbreaking experience and what you can do nowto leave the past and the pain behind so that you can begin stepping into a new future filled with the love and happiness your heart desires and you deserve.
What if you’re feeling lonely and stuck inside of a relationship? Being in a relationship where you feel that you and your partner have begun to drift apart – or worse, that you’re at the point where you’re afraid there is no way to restore the love and intimacy in your relationship – can be frightening and extremely painful. Knowing that there is someone there with whom you used to share love, joy, and intimacy, but who now feels like he’s miles away, even when he’s in the same room, can be heart wrenching.
It’s easy to slip into anger and resentment, blaming him for everything that has gone and continues to go wrong. It can also be tempting to wonder whether it would be easier to just end the relationship once and for all. Of course, that is an option, but, if you love your husband or boyfriend, and you would like to know that you’ve done everything you could to make the relationship work, there are some steps you can take to begin shifting the dynamic in the relationship and restoring the intimacy you once had.
Remember why you fell in love with him in the first place.
Regardless of what has happened, there was a time where you knew in your heart this was the man with whom you wanted to share your life. Write a list of the things you loved and admired about him. Allow yourself to remember those qualities that made you smile, feel safe, and want to spend every moment you could with him. Then begin to look for evidence of those qualities. Chances are that if you choose to look at him through the eyes of admiration, rather than resentment, you’re likely to find that the man you fell in love with has been there all along.
Express your appreciation for him.
As you begin to gather evidence of those qualities that made you fall in love with him, let him know you notice them. If he does something kind, thoughtful, or chivalrous, thank him. If he goes out of his way to do something for you, thank him. Even if he does something differently than you would have, or if there is the slightest attempt made at pleasing you, thank him. The more gratitude and appreciation you begin to express, the more you let him know that you notice the little things, the more he’ll want to do for you and and the more of a change you’ll begin to experience in your relationship.
Forgive and release resentment.
Holding on to anger and resentment shuts out love and intimacy. It’s simply impossible to feel resentment and love at the same time. While he may have hurt or disappointed you in some way, if you are choosing to stay, you’re going to need to choose to forgive. Otherwise, all you are doing is punishing yourself right along with him. Remember that forgiveness does not mean you are condoning or agreeing with what happened. You’re simply choosing to let go of the pain, anger, and resentment that has been filling the space where love and intimacy used to live.
It can feel difficult taking these first steps, because you feel so vulnerable. However, vulnerability is the key to intimacy, and it’s going to take that and courage to make a real shift in your relationship. If you need support or encouragement to begin, reach out to us and let us know. We’d be happy to help you on the path of restoring the love and intimacy you once shared this Valentine’s Day and beyond!
And, if you’re single, remember to register now for the free “Ready to Love Again” webinarwe’ll be hosting this Thursday, February 13th!
No matter where you are right now in your love life, you cantake the steps now to make this Valentine’s Day the last one you spend alone and feeling lonely!
Comments? Questions? Let us know below! We love hearing from you!
Have you ever felt like you are “stuck” in a particular pattern in dating and relationships?
Perhaps you feel like you keep attracting the same type of man into your life. Perhaps you feel like, no matter who you are in relationship with, the same types of issues and arguments seem to come up. Maybe you’re in a dead-end relationship that is going nowhere. Or maybe you feel like you and your partner have pulled so far away from one another there’s just no turning back to the way things used to be when you first fell in love.
Regardless of your particular situation, you probably agree that feeling “stuck” can feel be exhausting and depressing. Being inside of that type of dynamic can feel like it’s no use to try to improve or change things – that what you are experiencing is probably as good as it’s going to get.
The problem with this type of thinking is that it is precisely what is keeping you stuck! The thought that there is nothing you can do to create a shift in yourself that would lead to create a different result is simply born out of fear. Fear of being disappointed.
Let’s say, for example, you continue attracting men who are unavailable. Perhaps the men you tend to attract are either married, in a relationship with someone else, or they’ve been “getting divorced” for some while now. If this happens often enough, you might begin to believe that you’re destined to be alone, that there are no good men out there who are capable of being faithful, and that you will never be able to attract a man with whom you can create a loving, intimate relationship.
Or maybe you are in a long-term relationship where your partner will not take the steps to move the relationship to a more committed level or will not propose. To stay in that relationship, despite the fact that you know how much you want to be married and then blameor make him responsible for not having that in your life that is not only unfair to him (because you are making him responsible for your happiness), but it is unfair to you, because you are cheating yourself out of the opportunity to meet a man who is ready to commit to you forever.
Until you identify and let go of the fears that are creating this situation situation and making you feel like you are stuck there, you will continue to either repeat the same patterns and heartaches over and over again.
While it can feel terrifying sometimes to make a change, you need to ask yourself just how much longer you are willing to suffer the same consequences before you are ready to stand up for yourself and what you want.
The truth is that no one else is going to stand for you until you choose to stand for yourself. You teach people how to treat you. So, when you accept disrespectful or dishonoring behaviors, or settle for less than what you want or deserve, and you don’t put your own happiness and well-being first, then you cannot expect someone else to make you or your happiness a priority. The love you long to experience begins with loving yourself first.
This is why Michelle and I are hosting a 60-minute Q&A session this Wednesday at 9:00pm ET. On this call we will be answering your questions about how you can begin letting go of the patterns and behaviors that are keeping you stuck in your very “uncomfortable comfort zone” so that you can begin to attract the type of love you desire and deserve NOW!
To participate in the call, fill in the registration form on our Events page and we’ll send you an email with the call-in details. If you would like your question answered on the call, simply type in your question in the box provided on the form.
We will be reading and answering your questions LIVE on the call! Please note that you must be on the line in order for us to answer your question during the call. If you’d like to remain anonymous, just let us know what you’d like to be called on the call when you submit your question.
Keep in mind that we are probably going to get a lot of questions, so make sure to send yours in right away!
This is a great opportunity for you to receive coaching from us and to finally break free of the fears, doubts, and limiting beliefs that have been holding you back and blocking you from attracting the love you want! You’ll also be able to benefit from listening to the coaching other women receive!
Again, the call will be on Wednesday, January 29th, at 9:00pm ET.
Remember to register and send us your question right away!
We look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday night!
Michelle and I are still smiling after Thursday night’s Love & Intimacy Resolutions teleconference! What an extraordinary call! There were times during the call that we could actually FEEL the energy shifting — fears, doubts, and regrets being let to, and peace, hope, and loving moving in!
My favorite part of the call was when women began volunteering to share their Love & Intimacy Resolutions with everyone. It takes so much courage and vulnerability to share your heart with one person, and even more to share it in a group!
The emails we’ve been receiving, letting us know how your lives were changed by the call and what is opening up for you inside of this new path you have started have been so moving and inspiring! And thanks to those who have posted your Love & Intimacy Resolutions on our Facebook page!
If you haven’t posted yours yet, please go to our page and post your Love & Intimacy Resolution. Whether you were on the call or not, we’d love to hear what you are creating for yourself and your love life in 2014, so go ahead and post yours, too.
2. Click on the pinned post at the top of the page.
3. Copy the statements below:
“2014 is the year of Love & Intimacy for me! As i am creating the relationship of my dreams, I am being…”
4. Paste the statement into the Comments area of the pinned post and complete it with words that describe the type of relationship you want to experience!
For example, do you want a loving, passionate, fun relationship, where there is trust and compassion? Then you might write something like:
“2014 is the year of Love & Intimacy for me! As i am creating the relationship of my dreams, I am being loving, passionate, intimate, fun, trusting, and compassionate!”
Why? Because, in order to attract that type of relationship, you first need to BE the type of person who will attract someone who is also interested in having that type of relationship!
So, go ahead! Visualize your dream relationship, create it, post your Love & Intimacy Resolution on our Facebook page and begin living it!
If you find that you’re struggling with even being able to visualize what your dream relationship would look like because some of your past is still in the way, then contactus. We’d be happy to help you put the past in the past, where it belongs, so that you can have and begin experiencing the life and love your heart desires!
We look forward to reading your Love & Intimacy Resolution!
P.S. Please remember to “Like” our Facebook pagewhile you are there so that we can be connected!
P.S.S. If you prefer to have your Love & Intimacy Resolution posted anonymously, just email (gladys@heartsdesireintl.com) and I’ll post it for you!
Last week in the U.S., as you probably know, we celebrated one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. For a few days, there was a collective focus on the act of taking stock of our blessings and giving thanks for them. Whether or not Thanksgiving is a holiday you celebrate, I hope you took time to think, write about, and/or verbally express thanks for the people, things, and experiences with which you are blessed.
And, while the holiday is officially over, the act of giving thanks is something you can do every day! In giving thanks regularly, you have the power to shift your state of being from one of feeling upset, sad, and disappointed to that feeling happy, fulfilled, and blessed.
It may difficult to believe that something that simple could have the power to transform the way you experience your life, health, wealth, and relationships, but it’s absolutely true!
Last week, I wrote an article about The Transformational Power of Gratitude. Earlier that day, I had the privilege of doing an interview with Michelle Richards-Phillips of GeTVisioned TV to talk about how gratitude can help create more love and peace in our lives and relationships. Of course, I threw in some other dating and relationship tips, as well! This was probably one of my favorite interviews, as I felt such a connection with Michelle as we spoke!
Several of the people who have viewed the episode have let us know that they took on the Gratitude Challenge we gave at the end of the interview and what a difference it is making for them! People are not only experiencing a feeling of gratitude in their lives, but relationships with spouses and family members are being restored!
I hope you’ll take the challenge, too, and experience the transformational power of gratitude in your own life! Click below to watch the episode, and let us know if you’re going to take the Gratitude Challenge, too!
Questions? Comments? Let us know below! We love hearing from you!
There are few practices in life that are as transformational as that of giving thanks. There is something miraculous that happens when you make the choice to take your focus off of everything you don’t have, don’t have enough of, or that seems to be “wrong” in your life and shift to making the conscious choice to feel and express gratitude for what you do have. This is especially true when it comes to love and relationships.
There is a quote by Taneo Sands Kumalae that says,
“Energy flows where attention goes.”
There is nothing that can kill love and intimacy more quickly than criticism and sending the message to the other person that he is not doing “enough” to please you. Telling a man he doesn’t call often enough, that he “never” takes you out anymore, or that he’s “always” thinking about himself does not inspire him to want to call, spend time with, or think of you more often. In fact, you’ll probably find that this type of communication will backfire, having him pull away even more.
On the other hand, when you choose to shed light on the things that you like, enjoy, and appreciate – the little things, the big things, and everything in between – chances are very high that the man you are with is going to want to give you even more of that? Why?
Well, it’s pretty simple. If you’re with a good man, one thing is certain: He wants to please you. And letting him know what he’s done to please you will make him want to do that more often!
See, not only does he love seeing that smile on your face, but he absolutely loves knowing that he had something to do with it!
So, the more you often you let him know that you noticed what he did and that you appreciate it, the more often he will want to create that feeling for both of you again, which means you both win!
Now, I’m not talking about simply expressing thanks in order to “get him” to do things for you. That is manipulative and controlling and totally goes against what we teach about how to create a loving, intimate relationship. This is about really allowing yourself to notice what he’s done, feel the gratitude, and then express it to him.
As with most of the things we teach, this takes some level of vulnerability, because you’re letting him know he made a difference for you. This practice can be easy when things are going well in a relationship, but can be a little more difficult when you’re experiencing difficult times. However, it’s impossible to feel both resentment and gratitude at the same time. So, when you make the choice to express gratitude, it’s also likely that the resentment you’ve been holding onto will begin to disappear, which is a gift you give yourself!
I can promise you that if you really take on expressing gratitude to your husband or boyfriend for the week, something magical will happen.
Not only will you begin to experience more peace within, but you will also begin to sense a shift in the dynamic of your relationship.
Why?
Because, now, rather than focusing on (and complaining about) all of the things he’s not doing (or not doing well enough), you will begin noticing just how much you have to be grateful for! Instead of noticing that he left the socks on the floor, or left the toilet seat up, or forgot to pay the phone bill on time, you’ll begin to notice how he made sure he left you enough coffee in the coffee pot, how he always brings in the mail, how he’s working those long hours you complain about because he wants to take care of you, and how he begins to respond to your increased level gratitude! I’m warning you now – Don’t be surprised if he starts surprising you more often!
Will you take “The Gratitude Challenge”?
I’d like to present you with a little challenge.
For the next 7 days, look for three opportunities per day to express thanks to your man. I know, I know, some of you are thinking it will be hard to find one opportunity. Again, I promise you, if you will look for the opportunities, you will see them!
If you’re not in a relationship yet, then I challenge you to express your gratitude to men three times per day. You can choose to thank the same man three times, or thank three different men. Yes, you can choose a family member, but if you really want to stretch yourself, I invite you thank three co-workers, three men you see while running errands, or the cute guy who always holds the door open for you at the gym!
If you play this game full-out, you are going to begin to notice just how much the men in your life want to please and make you happy! See, while you may be benefiting from their compliments, help, or gifts, you are giving them a gift in return: The gift of appreciation. And, if you continue to play the game well after the 7 days have come and gone, you will see just how big a difference a little gratitude can make in all of the areas of your life!
So, will you do it? Will you take the gratitude challenge?
If, so, make sure you let us know below! We can’t wait to hear all about the miraculous changes you’ll begin to see in your life and your relationship!
Part 1 of this article, which talked about being his lover, not his teacher, seems to have resonated with a lot of women, based on the emails I’ve received and the comments on the blog! Apparently, many of us identify at least a little with feeling “an almost-divine responsibility” to teach men how they should speak, dress, and act! The problem, as I mentioned earlier, is that this teacher-student/mother-son dynamic kills the intimacy in a relationship.
So, you may be wondering what you can say if he does something you don’t like or agree with. Do you just hold your thoughts and feelings in until they spew out of your mouth like lava from the mouth of a volcano? Do you pretend to agree, even if you don’t? Do you give up your rights to ever say what you think, want or feel?
No!
Not sharing your feelings is not healthy, nor does it permit intimacy to grow in a relationship. Pretending to be someone you’re not is in authentic. After all, he can’t fall in love with you, if you are not there. And you have a right to think and feel the way you do.
The catch? So does he!
See, the fact that you both don’t agree on how every single thing can be said or done does not make either one of you right or wrong. You’re just different. This is why it’s important to remember what I often tell my kids:
Not everything that pops into your head necessarily needs to pop out of your mouth.
Judgments, complaints and criticisms are not your opinions because they’re not aboutyou. No matter how nicely you phrase a complaint or criticism, it still sends the message: “You’re wrong.”
So, instead of telling him what he should or shouldn’t be doing, which has all of your attention going over there, to where he is, turn the mirror around and focus your attention on yourself.
For example, imagine that the guy you are seeing says he’s going to call, and he doesn’t. While you may want to tell him something like “You shouldn’t say you’re going to call if you’re not, because that’s rude and inconsiderate” – which is not at all about your feelings, but what you think he did wrong – you could focus on how you’re actually feeling and say, “I was disappointed I didn’t get to talk to you” or “I was looking forward to your call.”
Notice how these statements focus on how you’re feeling, not on what he did or didn’t do.
Or perhaps you’re going on a first date and the guy says he wants you to drive up to where he lives to meet him, or to meet him at a halfway mark. If you would be picked up, or meet closer to your home, that’s what you would say: “I’d rather not drive that far,” or “I prefer to be picked up.”
Neither of these statements is teaching him or telling him what to do. You are simply stating your preferences and then he gets to choose what to do with that information – to either fulfill your desire, or not.
If your husband or boyfriend has been eating fast food three days in a row because he’s been working long hours, instead of telling him, “You should take a healthy lunch so that you’re not eating all of that grease and wasting all of that money,” there are several things you could do.
You could acknowledge that he’s a grown man who probably already knows that fast food is not the healthiest food choice and trust him to make what he feels are the best decisions for himself.
You could also choose to focus on the times he does make a healthy choice and point that out, instead. In this case, you could say, “It was a great idea to cook extra fish so that you have something healthy to take for lunch tomorrow.” This way, instead of focusing on what you don’t agree with or approve of, you’re choosing to focus on what you’d like to see happen more often!
The point is that people don’t like to be told what the should do or what they’re doing wrong, and they rarely choose to change out of being badgered, criticized, or made to feel badly.
Assuming that you are dating or in a relationship with an adult, you can trust that he knows how to take care of himself. After all, he managed to survive several decades before meeting you, right?
Respecting his choices and ideas as his choices and ideas – without trying to fix or change him or them – doesn’t mean you agree with them. It simply means you respect them. And respect is a key ingredient in any relationship.
So, the next time you have the urge to teach, correct, criticize, or give your unsolicited advice or opinion, ask yourself whether you want to be the one who teaches him what he should do or the one who gets to love and accept and be loved and accepted by him. Then remind yourself that there’s probably no better way to let him know you love him than letting him know that you trust and respect him and his choices!
Questions? Comments? Let us know below! We love hearing from you!
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