![Are You In A Healthy Relationship? [EXPERT]](http://images.tangomag.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-full/image_blog/healthycouple.jpg "Are You In A Healthy Relationship? [EXPERT]")
In the years I've been counseling and coaching, many people say, "I know I've been in sick relationships, but I don't know what a healthy relationship looks like." There are many long and complicated answers to this, but there is also a simple one: healthy relationships make your life larger and happier; unhealthy relationships narrow your life and make you crazy.
It might just be the last taboo: admitting you don't find your partner physically attractive anymore. In a culture that worships physical beauty and encourages you to place attraction somewhere near the first spot on a list of non-negotiables when choosing a marriage partner, admitting that you don't always find your partner attractive is considered blasphemous and a valid reason to walk away.
What in the world IS the Love Lifestyle? First of all, it’s living life at 100%…NOW, knowing that life is a precious gift and can be taken away at any moment. It’s turning off the TV, the iPhone and yes, the Internet regularly to connect with yourself… your highest self. It’s disconnecting from messages of mediocrity that are pervasive in this society, that continually condition us all to live a life that’s “normal” and to live within the status quo.
Everyone wants love but not everyone finds it. Interestingly enough, when you love or are in love, you know exactly what it is. Love paints our view of the world and bestows purpose and meaning to life. Somehow, when love is absent or lost, amnesia sets in. It's hard to define love; you ask if it's even real. You are either on a journey toward love or on a journey to defy it.
"I thought we had something real." Jen sobbed. "He was the most romantic man I had ever been with. He was so polite and showered me with gifts and flowers." "I didn't want to sleep with him yet, but he seemed so perfect." Her voice cracked again. "What happened," I asked gently. "He changed completely. He stopped texting first and then before I knew what happened, he started flirting with other girls on Facebook, and now..."
We’ve all heard the saying, “Out with the old and in with the new,” and when it comes to love it couldn’t be more beneficial. There is an exchange of energy that occurs with every person we connect with, and when we are intimate with someone that energetic exchange becomes even deeper. When we hold onto the past, it's as if we have ropes of energy holding us back and keeping us from moving forward toward our desired goal. When we do not release our exes, it's as if we are in a tug-of-war with the past. This is true whether or not we are “carrying a torch” for someone.
Valentine’s Day often feels like Valentine’s Month, doesn't it? Especially when we look around and see all of the happy couples fawning over each other while sharing secret glances, intimate moments and Desserts. Ugh! Citizens of the Toad Kingdom, I would guess that some of you ask, "When is it my turn to split the Chocolate Decadence?" Right? And How will you know your Prince Charming (PC) when you meet him - whether from an Online Dating Site or at the local library?
Romantic comedies, fairy tales and Sex And The City have led us to believe that finding "The One" is the primary goal of a woman's life. Find that magical, elusive guy and you'll unlock a lifetime of love, affection and happiness, right?
Is prejudging blocking your love connections? How often do you prejudge?... Do you know you prejudge? Typical scenario Blind Date/First Date Head Drama: Your friend sets you up on a blind date. You are curious and want to find love so you go. You pull up already anxious and guarded thinking that this person may not be what you want. You walk into the restaurant and there standing in front of you is a man/woman waiting for you.
Have you ever wondered why that new love euphoria doesn’t ever seem to last? So many of us mistake this for the end of the relationship. “I fell out of love.” “I guess he just wasn’t the one.” “The chemistry went away.”
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was generally a beloved figure in American History. That is, until last night, when ABC News aired excerpts of the former first lady's audio interviews with historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr., recorded just months after the death of her husband. In the tapes, which daughter Caroline released from the family archives, she's candid, gossipy, even cutting about several major political figures.
