Nurture your relationship with the way you communicate (Part 3 of 3)

Just as you deserve to be happy, your partner deserves the same. Bottom line: your partner is someone you chose to spend your time with, or share your life with. If you've made this choice, why would you want to let pride and ego get in the way and make life difficult for you?

If both of you make a conscious effort to eliminate pride and ego from your communication with each other, you'll have much more room to offer kindness. This means there would be no fear when you share both your positive and negative thoughts and feelings. There would be no fear because no matter what you share, you know you will only receive support and compassion from your partner. It is most nurturing when you can feel safe like this in a relationship. Don't you think?

To be in a relationship is to be on the same team. You should be in it to do nothing less than to give to each other, be your best for one another, inspire each other to be better, and ultimately, enhance each other's lives. Allowing the day-to-day challenges of life to be the reason you don't have the time or energy to nurture your relationship is never a good excuse—this is essentially the same as taking your relationship for granted.

Each time you communicate with your partner, whatever your mood, good or bad, make a conscious effort to communicate kindly. Share how you feel, and allow your partner to do the same—challenge yourself not to react or attack. Make a conscious effort to gift each other the gift of loving communication—the kind that leaves no room for pride and ego to enter. Be this way for each other, and it will be one of the best gifts you can offer one another.

Don't waste your time being upset with what happened in the past, don't get carried away with worrisome thoughts of what may or may not occur in the future. Just focus on the present. Focus on what you can do right now, this very moment, to make your life together a beautiful gift to each other. Remember: The past is history, the future a mystery, but the present is a gift, which is why it's called the present.