A concept pushed by relationship experts far and wide is the idea that compromise is the way to find solutions in a relationship. For us, this is a misleading and often destructive idea. Compromise says that you have to give something up in order to get something else.

Words truly have power. We are bombarded with information that tells us relationships inevitably have conflict, that we have to work hard in a relationship and that compromise is the path to success. In our experience of successful peaceful relationships, this is not so.

When we are with each other, we can be ourselves; we can be like that because we accept each other fully. We take this sense of ourselves out into the world like a shield; the events of the day might affect how we are, but never who we are.

How to Handle Anger in Your Relationship. If it’s you that’s angry, first name it as explicitly as possible, then own it: “I feel angry because....” Make sure it’s not dragged in from the past. If your partner is the angry one, don’t get sucked in.

At breakfast, we had a bit of a miscommunication. What is important is that we addressed this immediately. This brought about a very fruitful conversation on what we do and how we are with each other that prevents distance from growing between us.

Some areas of behavior are so deeply a part of a relationship that they receive very little conscious attention. These very same areas can often be critical pillars upon which successful relationships are built. That’s how it is with maintaining balance within your relationship.

Your identity is more than just your physical body; it is your family, your history, your groups, your gender and your humanity, and these are not cerebral but experienced. Your relationships are similar, and you can find union with your partner this way.

The honeymoon phase is biochemical, but you can keep the spark alive. Phil and Maude share the characteristics of their relationship that keep it fresh and juicy after more than a decade.

Peaceful relationships can and do exist, but culture focuses on conflict between couples in the same way that TV focuses on crime and traffic accidents. What you believe in comes to pass, so you must change your expectations of what a relationship can be.

In order to truly experience a peaceful relationship it is necessary to believe that it is possible. Once this belief is there, both of you need to have a communicated intention to always make this choice in how you perceive what is happening.