Date nights are vital for a happy relationship
Being in a happy healthy relationship with someone can seriously change your life in so many positive ways, mentally physically and spiritually.
But to enjoy the benefits of a healthy long-lasting relationship YOU are responsible for putting in 100% effort to make it work. In Darren Hardy’s fantastic book, The Compound Effect, he talks all about the 100/0 Rule of Responsibility in Relationships.
He says that only if you take 100% responsibility for your actions can you foster a stable relationship. Expecting the other person — your partner, friend, teammate, etc.— to do 50% of the work is doomed to fail. Why? Because the relationship builds on expectations and unrealistic expectations take a toll on our happiness.
I have been taking 100% responsibility for my relationship way before I ever read Darren’s book. I’ve been very happily married for over 24 years to both the love of my life and my all-time best friend. This may all sound corny or total BS to many of you but it’s the absolute truth.
Now I don’t know if it’s just how my brain works, how I see the world or if it’s how I grew up in a broken home raised by a struggling mother, but for me, relationships have always been extremely important. Each day I continuously do everything I can to keep our relationship passionate, happy, fun, and amazing.
To me, it’s not hard work or something I stress over, it’s part of being in an adult relationship and it’s something I want in my life so I do all I can. To be honest there are times when I find it to be challenging, upsetting and difficult but for me 100% worth it.
To make my relationship work, a lot of what I do is based on common sense and being open-minded as well as considerate. I make it a point each day to do the following:
TALK – We talk about everything (the good the bad and the ugly), no lies, no secrets, no BS. Keeping things in, or not talking about what matters can later be the downfall of a relationship.
LISTEN – I actually stop what I am doing and pay attention to what she is saying and listen to her…most of the time.
TOUCH – For me, touch is critical in a relationship. No matter how I am feeling or whatever chaos is going on in my world I’ll always make it a point to connect with my wife with a hug, kiss or even a momentary handhold.
APPRECIATE – I’m always so thankful to be with my wife and I make it a point to tell her how much she means to me. And to thank her for the smallest of things she does for me and our kids. I am also very grateful for the time I get to spend with her no matter what we do together, be it just sitting on the couch watching a movie, or jumping off a cliff into the ocean.
DO – Simple but profound little word. If you care for someone, DO things for them. Cook for them, clean for them, shop with them, support them, help them, open doors for them but most importantly, love them fully.
EXPLORE – As with anything, doing the same old same old can get boring and wear down a relationship. Spicing things up is not only fun and exciting but vital to a long-term happy relationship. I like to find ways to do new things, explore new places, eat new foods, try new positions, whatever!
The goal is to change things up, be creative, inquisitive, and open-minded so you can find new experiences to share which continuously breathes new life into your relationship and helps you grow together and strengthen your connection with each other.
This all ties into the topic of this blog and how date nights are vital for a happy relationship.
If YOU want a lasting, amazing, loving relationship, try keeping in mind what I’ve said and every day try to TALK, LISTEN, TOUCH, APPRECIATE, DO and EXPLORE. A solid happy, healthy, loving relationship doesn’t just happen on its own, you’ve got to work at it, and YOU have to take 100% responsibility and do all you can to make it fulfilling for both of you.
Regular date nights are amazing but so are date days, date weekends and every day in between. The whole point is to have fun, enjoy life and experience this amazing world we live in and for me, there is nothing better than sharing my life with my favourite person on the planet.
I hope this all helps you live the best life possible with your special someone and you enjoy countless amazing experiences that you both will cherish throughout your long incredible lives.
As more and more of our brothers join the group, we will share more of our thoughts, experiences and ideas which will help us all live the best lives possible.