Via Rebekah McClaskey

on Dec 26, 2012

Checklist for a Healthy Relationship.

Checklist for a Healthy Relationship.

Start strong. Ask yourself simple questions and build from there. This is not an exercise in perfection. It is a tool to assess where you have been, where you are now, and where you want to be. Take your time with the questions. Use your original impulse to answer them. Be truthful. And above all else, have fun.

1. What structures are currently in place that supports you and your partner’s well-being? Do you exercise together, eat right, drink in moderation, socialize, participate in a spiritual practice, and/or have good communication?
2. What have you been holding back from expressing? Can you trust your partner enough to be responsible for his/her emotions? Say what you need to say and allow for your spouse to regulate him/herself as needed.
3. How do you earn the money needed to support the life you are living and creating? What funds are in place to support seasons of famine? How do you divide your resources?
4.  What values matter most to you? Does your partner share these values?
5.  Do you want to have children? Or if you have children, what parenting contract have you created?
6. How do you know you are loved? How do you show your partner love? Express it in words and gestures, for neither is as potent in its singularity as they are combined.
7. How willing are you to express your sexual needs? What agreements have you created between the two of you to get your needs met? For a relationship to be alive, agreements must be revisited often and amended as needed. The primary supporting structure of any agreement is reciprocity.
8. When conflict arises how do you interface with it? Do you avoid or dive right in? Further, how do you and your partner arrive at resolution? If your objective is to win an argument instead of create deeper connection, chances are you will lose out in both the short term and the long run.
9. What brings you joy? Can you openly share your hobbies and interests with your partner? Keep your life and your relationship fresh by continually learning something new.
10. Do you like who you are when you are with your partner? What characteristics, both good and bad, does your relationship highlight? Self-awareness is the seed of growth that germinates through being attended to and cared for. The same is true for a healthy relationship.

As you enter into and foster your romantic relationship, know that falling in love with your sacred and beautiful spirit will allow for a rich and meaningful relationship with your partner. May this check list give rise to authentic expression and desires that act as guide posts in the journey that is your best life.

May peace and love guide you on your way.

Author’s Note: For further inquiry about these questions please email me. I would be happy to clarify.

~

Ed: Brianna B.

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Rebekah McClaskey is the creator of Break-up Rehab and the founder of Transform Now Counseling. She graduated with her Master’s in Counseling from Naropa University in the spring of 2011. Rebekah has four years experience in the field of psychology and she specializes in transforming suffering into victory. In other words, she is skilled at assisting you in answering the question, “Now what do I do?” You can learn more about Rebekah and about Break-up Rehab at transformnowcounseling.com And you can find Rebekah on her Facebook page, Love Improv. and on Twitter.