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The Hidden Stakes In Your Relationship’s Heart

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What are the most common reasons a relationship ends? Infidelity, loss of interest, incompatibility, or lack of communication. Wow, those are all pretty big indicators that something is wrong within a relationship. However, what about those small things people never think twice about, the minor happenings you may not even notice seeping in? Here are some problems which could actually be killing your relationship from the inside out.

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

“I am only telling you this because I love you.” Ah, the words of friends and family. Sometimes they have the best intentions. They may see something in your partner to which you have turned a blind eye. But sometimes, they just can’t see past their own opinions—such views that may have nothing to do with your partner at all. So what if your family thinks he is pompous or your friends think she is ditzy? This input has a way of crawling into your mind, taking hold, and poisoning a relationship. There are times when you need to listen to those you love (such as when they are worried for your safety, money, job, or other factors which do not involve “but you’re too good for him/her!”) and there are times when you need to tell them to butt out. Keep in mind, however, if it is not just one or two people but your whole clan warning you away…you may want to pay a little attention.

Video Game Break Up Box

“Just another minute, I’m close to beating this level!” Archaeologists will someday look back on our generation and refer to the computer or Wii as the Break-up Box. “Many people of long ago (particularly the males) used to get so absorbed within the workings of this strange device that it would drive away the partner and sever the relationship altogether. Fascinating!” they will ruminate. It is no surprise that, when doing a Google search of “World of Warcraft” and “divorce,” there are nearly a million hits. A person can become so engaged with a game that he or she will lose focus of what is really important. Don’t be that guy.

Getting Too Comfortable

“Can we please go out or something?” One of the best parts of being in a relationship is feeling so comfortable with another person that you do not have to get dressed up, you do not have to entertain them at all times, you can just…be…you. Yet this is one of the biggest traps into which a couple can fall. A person can become so comfortable in his or her relationship that they stop caring about their appearances, take their partner for granted, and may even become an outright bore. When this happens, it becomes very difficult for the girl/boyfriend to want to remain in that relationship. It is not just possible, but likely, if you are not careful. While you can certainly allow comfort into the relationship, don’t let it become the entire relationship.

The Fast Road To Fizzling Out

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There is nothing in the world that can compare to the initial rush of a new relationship. You think of the other person every minute you are awake…and some of the hours you are asleep. Your heart aches until you can see or talk to him again. When he is around, nothing and nobody else matters.

Yet we are often told too much of a good thing can’t last. Relationships are no different. If you are not careful, this budding state of like could implode, leaving you wondering just what the heck went wrong. Here are some ways to ensure your relationship lasts beyond the initial obsession.

The #1 Mistake People Make In A New Relationship

The biggest and most common mistake people just starting a relationship make is to ignore friends. They begin spending all of their time with the significant other and forget about the lives they used to live before. When you shirk your friends in favor of the new girlfriend, not only will it make them mad…but it can also put your newfound status in danger. You need friends to remind you that she is, in fact, not a deity worthy of your worship. Moreover, the time away (not matter how brief) can be helpful to the future of your relationship.

Along those lines, don’t quit your hobbies. Making out should not replace going to the gym or building furniture, if those are activities you love to do. It is understandable that your alone-time may be reduced when you begin opting to spend more time with her. But these hobbies should not disappear completely. Remember who and what you are. That sense of self should not fade away in order to accommodate someone new in your life.

Spending Time Apart From Your New Love

What if your hobby is traveling? Sure, keep it up! Going away for a weekend and being away from him will not kill you, I promise. You can even call once or twice while gone, just to make sure he remembers you. Even if you are not traveling, skipping the couple-time for a day or two when you are busy at work or under the weather will not break the relationship. It will actually strengthen it, because you will have some time apart.

Why is time apart so important? The main problem with the intense passion of a new relationship is that it can so quickly burn out those involved. They may be happy spending every minute together…until they are suddenly annoyed with the mere presence of the other. But when you have mini-breaks, you will appreciate this person more, look forward to seeing them, and will not soon take him or her for granted.

The last thing to remember is that, early on, you may feel compelled to talk about the future of your relationship, make plans for next year, or even talk right away about marriage. Try hard to avoid these kinds of conversations until you have pulled out of this phase. These moves can very quickly push a relationship into a later stage, for which neither of you may be ready. Instead, wait to talk about such topics until you can, say, get through a day of not seeing her without crying.

How To Handle An Adult Mama’s Boy

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The most important thing you need to know about mama’s boys is that most of them are not attached to their mother’s apron strings!

You see, mama’s boys are not that way because their mothers smothered them. Men grow up to be mama’s boys because they missed out on an invitation from their fathers to enter the father’s sphere of influence in their teenage years. Now, having missed that invitation, the relationship with the mother is quite complex. Some do make mom the most important woman in their lives. Others grew up power struggling with their moms, turning into macho men and even bullies as a result of their confusion over their role in their mother’s and their father’s lives. How a man relates to both parents directly affects his relationship with his woman.

Another type of mama’s boy looks like the perfect man who is capable of being there for his wife and children. Except that he tends to smother his wife and kids! Even another type comes across as an insecure teenager, even when he’s in his forties or fifties, needing his woman to reaffirm his masculinity at every turn.

So, how do you handle an adult mama’s boy, no matter which type you are in a relationship with? Here are nine action steps that can make a difference.

9 Steps For Dealing With An Adult Mama’s Boy

1. Refrain from acting like his mother. This means treating him like a grown man who can take care of the details of his life without you intruding there. This is probably the most important piece of advice. It is also the one you can do the most with because it has to do with controlling your own behavior in order to create positive change outside yourself.

2. Stay out of the middle between him and either parent. Mama’s boys attract women who are willing to go to bat for them, let him handle those relationships.

3. Call forth his masculine greatness. When he takes action meant to provide for you, protect you, impress you, or turn you on – acknowledge it glowingly!

4. Don’t nag. Learn how to express your needs and desires as you would with a peer. Nagging demeans both the giver and receiver. And it aggravates the mama’s boy quality that aggravates you!

5. Recognize that you are part of the problem. He was attracted to you in the first place because of your “mothering” energy. Even if you think you are the opposite of his mother, does he hope you will “mother” him the way she never could?

6. Expect him to be your equal, your lover, your man. The expectation will determine your own behavior as well as call forth the best in him.

7. If he speaks to you in a needy tone, respond as if he didn’t. Don’t feed the little boy energy. Don’t respond in a tone that corrects his neediness. Simply respond neutrally or with a positive tone that ignores his implied need.

8. Remember that there are times when each of you needs to be able to be the weaker one in the relationship, depending on the other to be the strong shoulder. This isn’t about the mama’s boy struggle, it’s about depending on each other.

9. Remember, too, that for adults, sex is play. It’s where we get to revisit the childhood joy of just full out enjoying ourselves. As long as it isn’t a turn off, let each other’s inner child come out to play some when it comes to sex.

Understanding Mama’s Boys

Sitting down a mama’s boy to have a discussion about his personality and how it doesn’t work for you is the most ineffective way of handling the situation. It puts you in the role of mama to his little boy who just can’t get it quite right.

As a mama’s boy, his patterns of behavior and speech are not only deeply ingrained, he got stuck there as a kid because he loved his parents and tried to be who they needed him to be. No one realized they were messing with his future romantic happiness. He doesn’t need to be treated like a victim! He needs to be treated like a man.

I said the most important piece of advice was to refrain from acting like his mother. The second most important piece of advice is that you are a part of the problem. He was attracted to you for a reason. The loving and nurturing energy you carry is delightful for everyone, dangerous for the two of you. However, this is good news because you can do something about it without overtly trying to control or dominate him.

Pay attention to the variety of ways you pour mothering energy over him and determine which expressions of that are healthy and which get you into trouble. Then stop the ones that get you into trouble! For instance, if around the house he has a habit of calling out to you when he wants you; with you leaving whatever it is you’re doing to go to him to find out what he wants, stop it! Little boys can’t be bothered to get up and go find mom, they call her to them. A pleasant, “I can’t hear you!” hollered back at him will result in his getting up to find you.

Or if he wants you to get him a beer, try a pleasant, “I’m not coming that way anytime soon.” The assumption you make is that he is a grown man who can take care of himself. It reduces the power struggles that aggravate the mama’s boy stuff and makes your life together sweeter.

I’ve seen too much advice out there telling you to dump him. These guys are too large in number and their hearts are too big to give up on. Give these nine actions steps a chance – you’re both worth it!

Q&A: Long Distance Relationship – I Cheated! Now What?

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Long distance relationships are hard on both people. While it’s easy to communicate with each other via phone, text, chat or video cam, what lacks in a long distance relationship is physical intimacy. Humans crave physical intimacy, and many people in long distance relationships become unfaithful because they simply need to be touched. Here’s how to handle long distance relationship infidelity.

Question: I’m in a serious relationship with my current boyfriend. The thing is, I’m here in the US and he’s in England. It wasn’t always like that, we were physically together not too long ago. Anyway, in his absence I’ve been unfaithful and now I feel really guilty and bad about it. He doesn’t know, and I’m wondering if I should I tell him? And if so, should I wait until we meet up again or through the Internet medium?

–YouTube Viewer

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCptj6rNFUo[/youtube]

Was It A One Time Affair?

Many people make the mistake of having an affair without planning it first. Most of the time, it is an unexpected, spur of the moment decision that may even have been influenced by alcohol or other substances. Many people who have an affair don’t ever plan on doing it again. Do you fall into this category? If so, it may not be as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be. Everyone makes mistakes and often under the duress of a long distance relationship, an accidental affair can occur. However, if you planned the affair or have had multiple affairs, you need to stop and think about the fact that long distance relationships may not be something you can commit to.

Honesty Is The Best Policy

When it comes to telling your long distance partner about your infidelity, it is never wise to keep it a secret. Honesty is always the best policy in this situation. While you may want to wait until you and your partner are face to face to tell them what happened, you’ll be living a lie until you do. Buck up and talk to your partner about it over the phone. An actual phone conversation about it is much better and more personal then a webcam chat or even a text. Let your partner know ahead of time that you want to talk about something important so they can set aside enough time to have the conversation with you. This is not something you want to surprise them with when they’re with their buddies or doing errands.

Can You And Your Partner Move Past This, Or Is It Time To Move On?

Talk to your partner and assess how they feel about the situation. If it was a one time mistake that can be prevented in the future, ask your partner if they’re willing to forgive you and continue the relationship after the affair. If you’re truly struggling with the lack of physical intimacy in the relationship so much so that you’re going out and seeking physical intimacy from others, consider moving on from the relationship and dating someone closer to home. Ask your partner how they would like to handle the situation. If you and your partner want to continue the relationship, it would be wise to do your best to make physical intimacy between the two of you possible as much as you can.

Q&A: Is It Good To Be Over-Protective of My Partner?

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Sometimes in relationships one partner becomes overprotective or even controlling. This can wreak havoc on a relationship, because more often than not, the partner being “protected” doesn’t want to be nor do they need to be. If you’re an overprotective or controlling partner, how can you overcome it?

Question: Every time I leave my girlfriend to let her go home it makes me worry about her constantly. You could say that I’m over protective. I would like to know if it’s it good to be over protective?

–YouTube Viewer

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoH-gwXd_O0[/youtube]

Is Your Partner Really Unsafe?

Some people have had some sort of trauma in their past or even a bad relationship that causes them to be overprotective of their next partner. They maybelieve their partner is truly unsafe. Most of the time, however, your partner isn’t unsafe and doesn’t need protecting. Calling them all the time when they’re out, asking where they were or who they were with and keeping tabs on them isn’t going to make them any safer, it’s going to make them angry and frustrated. Take a look at your situation and ask yourself, if your partner is really in danger or not. Chances are, they’re not.

Are You A Control Freak?

Many people prefer to be in control in different situations, and others like to be in control of every situation. If your partner likes to go out on their own, you may feel anxious or upset at not being able to be in control of what happens when your partner is gone. Calling or texting your partner a lot while they’re out, grilling them about what they did or even giving them a “curfew” can help you feel like you’re back in control of the situation. Unfortunately, while you may feel less anxious by being able to keep tabs on your partner, they’re going to be upset with you for not feeling like they have freedom in their own situations. They may also feel like you don’t trust them.

Overcoming The Need To Feel In Control

Being a control freak or feeling the need to be in control of almost every situation isn’t healthy. It’s definitely something you want to try to overcome. Having the need to feel in control of everything can cause problems in your relationships, and even end them. Many a relationship have ended because one partner is controlling or too overprotective of the other. Think about why you feel the need to be in control or be protective of your partner, and try to figure out the root of the problem. Try to learn to relax a little bit when your partner goes out and resist the urge to call all the time or give them a certain time to be home or check in with you. You’ll find that your partner will most likely come home safe and sound, and will be relieved that you weren’t keeping tabs on them. You can overcome being a control freak on your own, but it never hurts to seek counseling so you can have someone to talk it through with.