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Ten Tips to Play Together, and Stay Together
by: Dan Ohler
Lessons from the Teepee Turn-around


There is an old expression, which may sound trite, but I believe it is true, “People that play together, stay together.” A couple (by marriage or some other agreement) can increase their chance of remaining a positive statistic, by creating a habit of engaging in fun activities together. These can be planned or spontaneous. When you have fun together, it creates positive memories, which act as seeds for a long, playful relationship.

Carol operates a Bed & Breakfast and Country Vacation business. Through this, we have the opportunity to meet and learn about people from far and wide.


The Teepee Turn-around

Last summer John and Audrey arranged to stay with us, away from their Edmonton, Alberta home. They were both in their seventies, and had fond memories of time spent on farms when they were children. They thought it was time to revisit a farm and create some new fun memories.

They arrived in mid afternoon, well ahead of when we expected them. I was repairing a fence, some distance from the yard and they did not see me as I approached. I stopped to watch “the game.”

Audrey jumped out of the car and headed straight for the house. John went the other direction to a large teepee we have in our yard.

“Audrey, Audrey, come here. Look at this.” John was pointing into the teepee.

“We better check-in first, John.”

“No, come over here. It will just take a moment.”

“OK. Look at what?” She said begrudgingly as she peered into the teepee.

“Go in and I’ll show you.”

Audrey crouched and stepped into the teepee. John reached over and pinched her butt.

“Oh John!” she said with a giggle as she stood up quickly inside. John jumped through the doorway and chased Audrey around the inside of the teepee, both of them laughing and giggling as if they were young children.

John and Audrey had been together for over 50 years and I expect they will be together for many more years. While they were with us, they played horseshoes, bocci, and ping-pong together. We shared stories, joked, and laughed. They slept in the teepee to experience something new. They had perma-grins. It was a very good thing!

I remember when we were first married, we knew that play was important too. I played hockey two or three nights a week, and Carol played volleyball and racquetball two or three nights a week. It was good exercise and sociability for both of us, but not with each other. And the result was resentment, defensiveness, and discontent in our relationship. It was not a good thing!

Ten Tips to play together and stay together:

1. Plan a ten-minute meeting. You may need to mark it in your planner. I’m serious here. Unless you schedule it, you may not do it.

2. Find a comfortable place to discuss fun things, away from the phone, friends, or kids.

3. Brainstorm all of the fun things that you would like to do together. Yes, that says “together,” not me today and you tomorrow. If you list forty ways and places to have sex – that is fun, but it is just one thing.

4. Prioritize three things that you will do in the next week. These don’t need to be majestic events, although they can be. It could be a romantic dinner, spa day, movie night, card game, or a walk in nature holding hands. Use your imagination and make them as wild and crazy, or as tame and relaxing as you wish.

5. Schedule these fun activities (dates and times) in your planner if necessary. These are agreements that you both commit to uphold.

6. Schedule another meeting next week to explore and plan the next week’s fun activities.

7. Keep your agreements, regardless of the other “stuff” in life. A failure to follow-through on these agreements sends a powerful underlying message to your mate about the importance of your relationship.

8. If an unforeseen, uncontrollable “something” occurs that would hold you from your commitment, renegotiate another time to which you both agree. Do not cancel the activity.

9. Continue this process for four weeks. You are creating a new habit.

10. Celebrate your accomplishment in a fun way. The celebration keeps you motivated. Choose one of the fun things you like to do together, but with the intention that it is a reward for your commitment to your relationship.


Yeah, I know. Some of you are thinking, “This is too structured.” “It will take away from the fun.” “It won’t leave room for spontaneity.”

The point is this. Likely, you are not doing the fun things together now. Or if you are, you are not consciously recognizing them as such. Am I correct?

Consciously commit to these Ten Tips and I guarantee that you will experience more fun and love in your relationship. Spontaneous fun will occur more often. You will approach each day with an uplifted attitude.

There is always room for more happiness in my life. How about you?


Copyright© 2005


Dan Ohler is a relationship, change, and happiness specialist based near Edmonton, AB, Canada. Dan’s high-content keynotes, workshops, and comedy presentations help you and your organization excel.


Dan encourages change through insights & humour. Learn to apply the basics of human psychology, the natural laws that produce success. Learn the secrets to create life-long flourishing relationships, and abounding success.


To book Dan for your next conference or event, get FREE articles, or to subscribe to his e-zine, “Soaring Insights,” visit http://www.ThinkinOutsideTheBarn.com

This article is free for republishing
Who is Dan Ohler?



Dan is based near Edmonton, AB, Canada.



As a relationship, change, and happiness specialist, Dan uses high-content keynote presentations, workshops, and comedy presentations to help you and your organization excel.



Dan encourages change through insights & humour. You learn to apply the basics of human psychology – the natural laws that produce success.



Dan's book, "Thinkin' Outside The Barn And Steppin' Into Fresh B.S." is about these natural laws, and how you can use them to positively change your life. It is available at http://www.ThinkinOutsideTheBarn.com/newbook.htm





For more information, or to book Dan for your next conference or event, visit http://www.ThinkinOutsideTheBarn.com



 



©2005 - All Rights Reserved

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7 Myths About Creating A Better Relationship
 by: Cecil McIntosh

In my private practice for over 14 years no matter what my clients have come to see me about, there has always been an issue about a better relationship.

Here are 7 of the most common misconceptions my clients have related to me about having a better relationship. These misconceptions are followed by my perspective on each one of them.

Myth 1 I have to love everything about my partner

Reality Check 1

You were born pure and pristine. You then learnt behaviors from your parents, teacher, coaches, church etc. (who did their best to teach you about a better relationship). These behaviors have become the backbone for your way of living and having a better relationship.

Perhaps a common behavior that irritates having a better relationship would be leaving the toilet seat up after use. This is merely a behavior and not the essence of the person. However, when you may consider this behavior to be the person, this destroys the concept of a better relationship, creating all kinds of conflict in your need for a better relationship.

Myth 2 Love means that I can fix your partner

Reality Check 2

You met your partner because of some special quality or charteristic that you admired. You need to accept and allow that quality to flourish in order to allow you and your partner to grow into a better relationship.

You may be unaware that you do not even like yourself. Yet by allowing your partner to grow and expand, you will experience the quality of your partner and the beauty within you, as you begin to enjoy a better relationship.

Myth 3

I am supposed to give up the things I like in order to be in a better relationship.

Reality Check 3

Giving up the things you like to be in a better relationship is like take a knife and cutting away a part of yourself.

Your better relationship is based on the uniqueness of you and your partner.

When you give up your uniqueness you rob yourself of a better relationship, your passion and your partner of your creativity.

Myth 4 I will be rescued by a knight in shining armour

Reality Check 4

You may have been conditioned to live your life expecting someone to take care of you. What happens if that person becomes ill? and is no longer able to take care of you.

Your responsibility in creating a better relationship, is to bring your passion to the table of your relationship. Some days you will be the knight in shining armour and another day your partner will be the knight in shining armour of a better relationship.

You will each get a chance to shine like star in a better relationship because of your strengths and weaknesses.

Myth 5 It cost a lot to be in a relationship

Reality Check 5

In a material context, a better relationship can be expensive if you think that love is based on the bigger house, car or boat. Although some of these material assets are necessary, they should not be at the expense of creating a better relationship.

Love is creating a better relationship by building a relationship that is based on the simple things in life, like walking and holding hands, going on a picnic (just the two of you), or sharing an ice cream.

Love in a better relationship is not about what you show on the outside but what you express in you heart. Love is not about money or materialism, love just is.

Myth 6 Love in a relationship is or is not a feeling

Reality Check 6

It is not what you say, it is what you do. You can say, "I love you" which may be merely words and no feelings (action). Love is the action of doing.

If you make a cup of tea for yourself, (the water is boiled), make a cup of tea for your partner. Whether your partner wants the tea or not is irrelevant, it is the thought that counts and the action that cements a better relationship.

Myth 7 I don't have to work at my relationship

Reality Check 7

As a child, you learned to creep before you walked. Then you learned the letters of the alphabet. In order to write, you had to learn how to put those letters together to make words and sentences.

These sentences then become the way in which you communicated.

When you and your partner stop communicating after learning how to use the letters of the alphabet in sentences, it's like 2 tape recorders talking to each other - Nobody is at home to enjoy a better relationship.

In summary:

1. Your partner's behavior in a better relationship is not your partner's true essence.

2. There is no need to have a clone of yourself. A better relationship requires some variety.

3. Giving up of your uniqueness to be in a better relationship is like throwing out the baby with the bath water.

4. In a better relationship there are no superior partners, just equal partners.

5. Love in creating a better relationship is not about money and the material assets (although there are important) but the simple things in life.

6. Love in a better relationship is active not passive.

7. Lack of communication crushes your desire for a better relationship.



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