The Key To Relationship Success Is Effective Communication

Effective communication in a relationship really has reached the status of a cliché! The thing is, it really is most important. There is no way to keep a good relationship going without effective communication. You have to share everything. This means your joys, your problems, your fears etc. You must be in tune with your partner's dreams and hopes and you must support your partner in all of this.

It never ceases to amaze me when people are on the phone with their spouse how they'll end the conversation with a casual 'love you too'. I'm not saying that's bad, but I am saying that this 'habit' is just one example of how we think that we're telling our partner how we feel when we're really not.

It's way too easy to say what you're expected to say with no real meaning behind the words. We all do it. That is at the basis for poor communication skills in a relationship. If I asked one hundred people if they talk to their spouse as openly and candidly as they do their best friend, I'll bet around 90 of them would say 'no'.

That's because many of us just hold our tongue because we don't want to rock the boat. If things are going well you don't want to bring up uncomfortable subjects and ruin the good mood. And if things are going bad you've got enough to deal with without bringing up more issues. So the 'bad' things never get talked about.

Or at least they never get talked about until you're really angry at your spouse and then it all comes out like a tsunami and your spouse is likely feeling a little blindsided. I think we've all been guilty of doing that at one time or another.

It's important for the two of you to be able to talk to each other in a safe environment. Your partner has to know that if they want to talk about something that you're not going to 'attack' them. Whether it's getting mad and yelling, or trying to make them feel guilty because they hurt your feelings. It's all an attack and it's all very manipulative. The point is you have to be willing to listen to it all, good and bad.

Of course, the same exact thing holds true for your spouse too. It's got to be give and take. You should both be willing to listen to the issues the other one has and you should both be able to talk about the issues you have, without being punished by getting the cold shoulder or being yelled at.

Most of this will start with each of you having enough self confidence to not take everything personally. If your spouse tries to talk to you about a problem and all you hear is "you're not good enough" or "you're not smart enough" or "I don't love you" than the issue is with you, not them. Get that fixed first.

Learning the skills of effective communication is a investment in your future relationship. You cannot expect to have a lasting relationship without communication. You really have to be able to talk about EVERYTHING in a relationship. You should be able to listen and make sure you HEAR what your partner is saying.

This is only one of the many good relationship tips you will be able to find in The Magic Of Making Up. Go there now and see how much you can learn to prevent your relationship from deteriorating.