Archive for August, 2009

Change takes more than a small improvment

Monday, August 31st, 2009

I recently read this "In science, a reigning theory is presumed provisionally true and continues to hold sway unless and until a challenging theory explains the current data as well and also accounts for anomalies that the prevailing one cannot." in an article about the controversay over who wrote Shakespeare.

Apply this concept to your marraige - to what you know about your bride, and what she knows about you. Once you have an understanding of something about her, it takes more than a small or short term change in her behaviour to change your mind about that thing. Same for your bride - once she has an idea about you, it takes a great deal more to change that idea than it took to form the idea in the first place.

I take three lessons from this:

  1. Be very carefull about what you do, as undoing it will take far more time and energy that doing it.
  2. If you want to change how your bride sees something about you, it will take time.  This is not because she is unwilling to see change in you, but because of human nature.  Convincing her you have changed will take time and concistancy.
  3. If your wife is making an effort to change something, try to encourage her even when you are less than sure that she has really changed. Giving her the bennefit of the doubt is difficult, but it can help her to fully accomplish a change she wants to make.

Odds and ends

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

Gentlemen,

It is time once again for me to go into conference mode. My bride and I are the entire paid staff that puts on a simple church conference each year.  This year we are in Dallas/Fort Worth, with a smaller than usual group of about 250.

As I will be way to busy to do tips, I am lining up tips for the next two weeks, pulling from the things I have sitting in pending.  There will be no order to these, with some regualr ideas not showing up, and others getting more play than usual - I'm just using what I have read.

If you want to peek at my "other world"  we are (attempting) to stream the main sessions of the conference this year.  See here for information and schedule.


Anticipation

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

Anticipation can make something much better - or much worse. Anticipating something you enjoy is a pleasure in and of it's self, and makes the event even better when you do it.  On the other side, anticipating something that is sometimes difficult leads to worry, and  it can set up the event for failure before it even starts.

If your bride enjoys sex, anticipating sex is good, and it makes the sex better. If sex is ever difficult, sexual anticipation is probably more negative, and can easily sabotage the event before it happens.  So, act accordingly -

If she generally enjoys sex: talk about wanting her, and gently tease her about what will happen when you are alone. Fine her comfort level and don't push her too far,but build her mental and physical excitement with words and little actions.

If sex is sometimes difficult for her: less talk about sex is better, as it reduces her anxiety about sex. Don't tell her you want her later, that will likely start something in her mind that is destructive. However, if you find she has a problem with having sex "sprung on her" at the last minute, try to figure out what advanced notice helps her be ready without giving her time to negatively anticipate.

Massage as therapy

Friday, August 28th, 2009

I came across this recently:

"Massage therapy has been shown to reduce aversion to touch and to decrease anxiety, depression and cortisol levels in women who have been sexually or physically abused (Field, et. al., 1997)."   (reference)

In one study, women received 45 minute massages five times a week for a month. Before and after tests showed reduced stress, lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and improvement in immune system function. In bulimic teen girls, massage twice a week for 5 weeks reduced depression and anxiety, and improved body image. Other studies have shown massage to improve serotonin and dopamine levels, reduce disruptive behaviour in children, and improve sleep in those with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Massage has also been shown to connect the one giving the massage and the one receiving, reducing mistrust and building a sense of safety and security.

The point of all this, is that massage is extremely powerful, well beyond what most of us will ever understand. Massage can do more to build intimacy with your wife than books, seminars, and hours of communication could ever do. It may take time, but if you can regularly give her a nonsexual massage, it will make a change - in both of you. Start small, do her feet and hands. Go for a  number of short massages if she won't go for longer ones.

A simple call

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

When you are out at a store without her, call and ask if she needs anything - from that store, or another.

If you live a ways from the store this is not just helpful - it saves time and gas money.

Light up her life

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

LED flashlights have become smaller, brighter, and less expensive. Get her a small LED light for her purse, the glove box in the car, her night-table, or any place else where it would be of use.

Or - get stick up LED lights.  We put a couple of these in our closet at our last home, and when we moved them a year later they were still running bright on the two AA batteries we put in each of them to start. LED stick up lights are a fast and good solution for places where you need light and don't want to run wires.

You, me, and God’s world

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

© Mesenko | Dreamstime.comMy bride and I are discovering the joy of an evening walk up our little mountain - WOW!  Why is it that being surround by nature makes me feel closer to God, and easier to be close to my bride?

Try to find a park, greenbelt, or other place away from buildings and traffic to walk with your bride. Stroll, hand in hand, and let the conversation come on it's own. Trust me, it's time well spent.

The curse of knowledge

Monday, August 24th, 2009

This study speaks of "the curse of knowledge" - that we tend change what we expect others to do based on information known to us that is not known to the other person.

I am very guilty of this with my bride! I expect her to know what I know, and to process decisions based on what I know - even when I should realise she does not know some of what I know. Or, I will start talking about something I have been thinking about, without giving her a clue what the subject is! How frustrating is that for her?!

Another way I am guilty of something that fits in this area is to think about something, and reject a number of options based on my thinking them through and finding each one to be less than acceptable. Then when I discuss the issue with my bride, and she brings up something I have thought through and rejected, I am cutting her off from doing what I did - working it through. She say "we could ______" and I cut her off before she finishes her sentence. This makes her wonder why I even bother to discuss it with her, as it seems I am not open to any of her ideas.

What about you - does what you know, that your bride does not know, ever cause you to do things that are irrational, unloving, or less than wise?

Improve the web with Nofollow Reciprocity.







Powered by WordPress

© 2001-2010 Daily Generous Husband Tips All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright


Logo Image © Nmonckton|Dreamstime.com