Love, Lies & The Truth

When does love stop being something we freely give... and start becoming something we keep score of?

Moving in together because it's convenient. 

Getting married because it makes financial sense. 

Quietly keeping track of who's paying, who's giving, who's initiating intimacy, and who's doing more.

Sometimes the biggest decisions in our relationships happen without us ever having the conversations that really matter.

In Episode 12 of Love, Lies & The Truth, we're exploring contractual relationships... and the subtle ways love can become transactional without either person realizing it's happening.

And this time, the conversation gets particularly personal.

As we navigate a long-distance relationship between Canada and the United States, we've been discussing the possibility of living together and eventually getting married.

There are some very compelling practical reasons to make that happen sooner rather than later.

But just because something makes sense... does that mean it's the right thing to do?

That question opens up a much bigger conversation.

We explore the difference between choosing marriage out of love and choosing it out of convenience. We talk about why prenuptial agreements and uncomfortable financial conversations might actually protect something beautiful, rather than diminish it.

And then there's what we call the invisible ledger of love.

The unspoken accounting that happens when one person feels they're giving more than they're receiving.

More money. More effort. More affection. More emotional energy.

At what point does generosity become obligation?

When does a desire for fairness turn into resentment?

And what happens when the person you love starts feeling like someone who owes you something?

We share some of the uncomfortable lessons from our previous relationships, the patterns we've recognized in ourselves, and what we're doing differently this time.

Because sometimes the most loving thing you can do is have the conversation you've been avoiding.

And perhaps the real question is...

Are you building a life together because you genuinely want to share it... or because you've become comfortable with the arrangement?

We'd love to hear your perspective, especially on marriage, prenups, and keeping score in relationships.

And if this episode brings up a conversation you've been meaning to have with your partner...

Maybe this is a good place to start.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

Love isn't found. It's built.

https://loveliestruth.com

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What happens when the thing you've dreamed about for years finally starts becoming real... and instead of feeling unstoppable, you suddenly feel exposed?

That's exactly where Amy found herself this week.

After more than 30 years of dreaming about creating her own skincare brand, she's finally doing it. The products are real. The business is real. She went live on Facebook and put herself out there...

And suddenly, so was the vulnerability.

So in Episode 11 of Love, Lies & The Truth, we started talking about imposter syndrome.

But the conversation quickly became about something much bigger:

What if the life you want arrives before you feel like the person who's ready to live it?

We talk about the strange vulnerability that can come with success, why stepping into a bigger version of yourself can make you feel less confident rather than more, and whether becoming who you want to be actually requires acting like that person before you completely believe you are them.

And, because this is us, we bring it into relationships too.

What happens when your partner starts growing?

Do you celebrate them... or quietly feel threatened by them?

Can their success inspire you without becoming a measure of your own worth?

Can you support someone when they're scared without taking responsibility for fixing how they feel?

And when you're the one feeling insecure, can you let your partner see it without making them responsible for making it disappear?

Because there's a world of difference between standing beside someone and carrying their emotional weight for them.

Maybe becoming the person capable of living the life you want doesn't begin when you finally feel confident enough.

Maybe confidence comes later.

Maybe first...

you do the thing.

You practice. You fail. You learn. You keep going. And somewhere along the way, you realize you're no longer pretending to be that person.

You've become them.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

True intimacy isn't found. It's built.

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com

Somewhere along the way, dating became a game... and men and women started treating each other like opposing teams.

Don't text back too quickly. Don't seem too interested. Don't show how much you care. Maintain the upper hand. Protect yourself. Make them chase you.

And then we wonder why connection feels so damn difficult.

In Episode 10 of Love, Lies & The Truth, we talk about the strange power struggle that can exist between men and women... in dating, relationships, and sometimes in the culture itself.

We explore the games people play to avoid vulnerability, the resentment that builds when neither person feels understood, and the expectations men and women can place on each other without ever actually talking about what they need.

Amy shares how years of disappointing relationships led her to become angry with men... and what happened when she began seeing men as individuals instead of the enemy. Jonathan talks about spending much of his life wanting emotional intimacy without understanding how to create it... trapped inside an idea of what a man was supposed to be and everything he wasn't supposed to feel.

And somewhere in the conversation, a bigger question emerges:

What becomes possible when we stop trying to win against each other?

Maybe our differences aren't the problem.

Maybe the problem begins when we stop being curious about those differences... when we expect the other person to think like us, communicate like us, need what we need, and play the role we've decided they're supposed to play.

Because underneath the dating rules, the gender wars, the scorekeeping and all the bullshit...

there are usually just two human beings who want to be seen, understood, loved and connected.

Maybe we don't need to get better at playing the game.

Maybe we need to stop playing it.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

True intimacy isn't found. It's built.

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com

What if some of the biggest conflicts in your relationship aren't actually about what your partner did... but about the story you told yourself about why they did it?

In Episode 9 of Love, Lies & The Truth, we explore the stories our minds quietly create about the people we love.

Your partner doesn't do something when you expected them to. They seem distant. They go out with friends. Something feels different.

And before you've actually asked what's going on, your mind has already filled in the blanks.

They're ignoring me.
They don't care.
Something's wrong.
Maybe I can't trust them.

Then something even more interesting happens: we can begin responding to our partner as though the story we've created is true.

But where did that story come from?

We talk about the stories created by past relationships, old wounds and growing resentment... and the stories we project onto our partners because of things we haven't yet confronted in ourselves.

We also explore what happens when the story isn't about a single moment at all, but about who we believe our partner is supposed to be. Are we still curious about the human being beside us as they change and grow... or are we asking them to keep playing a character we created for them?

And then there's an even harder question:

How do you tell the difference between fear, projection and genuine intuition when something really does feel wrong?

As the conversation unfolds, we find ourselves back at something that keeps appearing in this show: the relationship you can build with another person is deeply connected to the relationship you've built with yourself.

Because loving someone well requires more than knowing what they bring to the table.

It requires being willing to ask what you bring to it too.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth
True intimacy isn't found. It's built.

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com

How do you know when you've actually found your person?

And once you have... how do you keep choosing them?

In Episode 8 of Love, Lies & The Truth, what begins as a conversation about flirting, attraction and the slow creep of complacency in long-term relationships turns into something much bigger.

Why do couples who once couldn't keep their hands off each other eventually start feeling like roommates? What happens when the little gestures, attention and curiosity slowly disappear? And if the love is still there... can you create something new together?

We also explore what it actually means to “know” someone is your person, the difference between chemistry and consistent behaviour, and why being honest about what you see may matter more than simply trusting how you feel. Amy reflects on the doubts and red flags she ignored in past relationships, and what feels fundamentally different now.

And, in true Love, Lies & The Truth fashion, the conversation takes an unexpected turn into purpose, identity, service and shared mission... and whether having something meaningful to move toward together might be one of the things that keeps two people growing instead of simply growing comfortable.

Maybe keeping the spark alive isn't about trying to recreate who you were when you first met.

Maybe it's about continuing to notice, discover and choose the person beside you as both of you change.

Quick note: 

Yes... there’s a little Muncho crunching in this episode. 😂 We know it may be distracting (or even come across as a little disrespectful while Jonathan is talking), and Amy started muting her mic once she realized it. It’s brief, it’s handled... and the conversation gets especially good from there. Consider it another lesson learned in the ongoing adventure of making this podcast together. 😄 Thanks for listening!

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

True intimacy isn't found. It's built.

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com

Why do we keep choosing relationships that hurt us?

What if the answer isn't about finding better partners...

...but about believing we deserve better love?

In this deeply personal episode of Love, Lies & The Truth, Jonathan and Amy explore how self-worth quietly shapes the relationships we choose, the behaviour we tolerate, and the kind of love we believe we're worthy of receiving.

Together they discuss:

• Why chaos and chemistry are often confused.
• How childhood experiences shape our expectations of love.
• The difference between being chosen... and choosing.
• Why familiarity isn't always healthy.
• Learning to recognize respect instead of simply offering it.
• How healing changes the people we're attracted to.
• What it feels like to build a relationship where both people genuinely want the other to shine.

Throughout the conversation, Jonathan and Amy share stories from their own lives, reflecting on past relationships, personal growth, and the journey toward creating a relationship built on mutual respect, honesty, and emotional maturity.

Because the love you choose...

...is often a reflection of the love you believe you deserve.

And perhaps the greatest relationship you'll ever build...

...is the one you have with yourself.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

🌐 LoveLiesTruth.com

There comes a moment in every relationship when you realize...

It's no longer just "my problem."

It's our challenge.

In this deeply personal episode of Love, Lies & The Truth, Jonathan and Amy reflect on a week that stretched them both emotionally, physically, and spiritually. What began as overwhelm, exhaustion, and miscommunication became one of the most important discoveries of their relationship.

Together they explore:

• Why some people process life out loud while others retreat into silence.
• The difference between supporting your partner and carrying their emotional weight.
• How stress can quietly pull couples apart... or teach them to become a stronger team.
• Why asking, "Do you have the capacity to hear something heavy right now?" can completely change a difficult conversation.
• What it means to let someone love you before you've figured everything out.

At the heart of this episode is a simple but life-changing realization:

You don't have to do this alone anymore.

Whether you're in a relationship, healing from one, or simply learning how to let people in, this conversation is an invitation to stop carrying life's weight by yourself.

Because sometimes the strongest thing you can say isn't...

"I've got this."

It's...

"Can I tell you what's really going on?"

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

🌐 LoveLiesTruth.com

What if the biggest influence on your relationships isn't your partner... but your childhood?

In this deeply personal episode of Love, Lies & The Truth, Jonathan and Amy explore how family dynamics quietly shape the people we're attracted to, the relationships we tolerate, and the stories we continue telling ourselves long into adulthood.

Together they discuss:

• Why childhood patterns follow us into adult relationships.
• The lifelong search for approval and belonging.
• Learning to recognize unhealthy relationship dynamics.
• Boundaries, healing, therapy, and personal responsibility.
• Why seeing the good in someone isn't enough.
• How choosing yourself changes the people you choose.
• What it feels like to finally experience a relationship built on peace instead of survival.

Along the way, they share their own family experiences with honesty, compassion, and vulnerability, while acknowledging that healing isn't about blaming our parents.

It's about understanding how our past shaped us...

...so it no longer controls our future.

If you've ever wondered why certain relationship patterns keep repeating, this conversation may help you see yourself... and your family, in an entirely new way.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com

What makes someone feel truly desired?

It's a question that seems simple...

until you actually try to answer it.

In this episode, Jonathan and Amy discover that desire is about far more than attraction.

It's about respect.

Presence.

Playfulness.

Intellectual connection.

Physical affection.

Feeling chosen.

Feeling seen.

And all the little moments that quietly say:

"I still want you."

Along the way they explore love languages, compliments, flirting, masculinity, femininity, wandering eyes, intellectual attraction, and why love and desire aren't always the same thing.

And because it's Love, Lies & The Truth, the conversation also includes meat vessels, peacocking, master debating, and plenty of laughter.

Because the deepest conversations usually happen when you're having fun.

🎙️ Love, Lies & The Truth

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com

Every person you fall in love with arrives carrying a lifetime of experiences, mistakes, heartbreaks, healing... and history.

So what happens when your partner's past makes you uncomfortable?

In this episode of Love, Lies & The Truth, Jonathan and Amy explore body count, sexual history, judgment, forgiveness, and what it really means to love someone for who they are today... not who they used to be.

You don't have to love everything your partner has done...

But if you love the person standing in front of you, can you respect the journey that brought them there?

If this conversation made you think of someone you love, send it to them. Some conversations are better shared.

Connect with us, watch more episodes, and find every link at:

LoveLiesTruth.com