If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~ Anne Bradstreet

Does Your Marriage Need A Spring Cleaning?

Does your marriage revolve around your children or grandchildren? Do you and your spouse spend too much time apart? Have you grown apart? Imagine your marriage 20 years from now. How is it going to be if you keep up with your current approach? If you don't like the thought of your future with its present course, then your marriage may need a spring cleaning.

Ernest Holmes said, "Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it." Have your thoughts undermined a once great relationship? If so, you can redirect your thoughts and thus redirect the future of your marriage. Most couples put more effort into the planning of their vacation than they do their marriage.

Remember the days of dating each other? You couldn't get enough of each other and gladly gave a lot of attention to your partner. After a couple gets married they are pulled apart by things like their career and the needs of their children. A routine develops and if the couple isn't careful, so does a sense of boredom.

Unfortunately, your spouse tends to get blamed for the boredom. But don't be too quick to judge. Simply because you have been together for a number of years doesn't mean that you know your spouse today. People change. As men get older, they tend to shift focus from their career to their family. Women tend to go in the direction of career because they have put their career pursuits on hold for the sake of their children.

The goals you had early in the marriage have probably changed. But your partner may have the assumption that you still want things the way they were in the beginning. Especially in the ages between 35 and 55, what's important to you and what matters most are usually being re-evaluated.
Talk with your partner about what is really important to you. What would make your life more satisfying? Listen to your spouse. Encourage them to share their views. Be open to what they say. Don't be too sensitive or defensive. Don't be judgmental. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you overreact to what they say, your spouse isn't going to talk to you.
Try to be accepting and positive of what your spouse has to say even if what you hear surprises you. If you have a hard time keeping your mouth shut, I suggest you sit on your hands. Somehow this simple behavior helps you keep quiet so that you just listen. Remember, one good idea could be life changing to your marriage.

Be curious and eager to know your spouse all over again. It doesn't take both of you to do the spring cleaning, even though it helps. You'd be surprised by what one dedicated spouse can do. And just like the spring cleaning of your home, your marriage deserves many cleanings. Keep your marriage fresh and alive. Tap into your ability to dream again. Rediscover the beauty of your husband or wife. Take one step today towards the renewing of your marriage. Then take another step tomorrow. And so on and so on..

Here are some additional "cleaning solutions" for your marriage.

1. Try to see your spouse with fresh eyes.
2. Keep your mind focused on your spouse's positive qualities.
3. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Forgiving yourself and your spouse is an attribute of the strong.
4. If you are keeping score of your spouse's mistakes, you are setting your marriage up to fail.
5. Life is too short to allow boredom to infiltrate your marriage.
6. Good things often come from the difficult times.
7. Strive to genuinely understand your spouse.
8. Break your routines to keep the marriage exciting.
9. Maintain an attitude that encourages openness.
10. Strive to find the magic that is waiting to be discovered in your spouse.

About the Author: Mark Webb is the author of How To Be A Great Partner and founder of Partner Focused Relationships™. Sign up for Mark Webb’s “Relationship Strategies” Ezine ($100 Value). Just visit his website at http://www.powerfulrelationshipadvice.com or http://www.therelationshipspecialist.com

When our homes get a little messy we give them a full cleaning. When our car looks a little dirty, we take it in for a cleaning. But rarely do we give the same consideration to our bodies.

The human body needs the same style spring-cleaning regimen for digestive health. This kind of cleaning is referred to detoxification, and is a complete process of cleaning out all 7 of the areas the body eliminates waste. While you may only think of regular elimination, in the form of bowel movements there are 7 areas of elimination in the body. In addition to the colon, the body eliminates waste through the skin, lungs, kidneys, blood and lymphatic system.

There are a number of ways to give your body a good cleansing from head to toe and everywhere in between.

The largest organ on your body is your skin. When you sweat, that is your skin eliminating. Some of it is waste coming from your lymphatic system, other parts of that are waste that was stuck in the pores of your skin. Utilizing a steam bath or sauna will create more sweat than your body normally produces, essentially washing out the poisons in your lymphatic system and your skin.

There are a variety of herbs that can assist in the cleansing process. Some are used for purification to purge the organ systems. Others are revitalizing herbs that will heal and sooth the organs after a cleansing.

The most commonly discussed form of bodily elimination is through the colon. This area needs a cleansing ritual. Colon hydrotherapy is one such method. This is a process where warm water is used to gently clean the colon and encourage the muscles within the colon to work more consistently. This has been found also to be a successful natural method to cure a bout of constipation.

There are some regular daily activities you can take on that will continue the cleansing process of your body year round. One is making a change to a healthy dieting plan. A diet that is heavy in fiber (fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and beans) will assist in ongoing digestive health. The high-fiber foods help the body get rid of toxins. They attach to the fibers as they pass through and are eliminated.

Taking regular vitamin supplements can assist the body in staying healthy, and being more capable of protecting itself. Some of the vitamins with antioxidant properties, such as Vitamins A, B,C and E as well as other minerals such as zinc and selenium give the body extra power to get rid of toxins.

Deep breathing exercises can also assist in detoxification by removing poisons from the cells in the lungs.

Regular exercise is also helpful, in removing toxins from the body through sweating.

About the Author: Brandon H. Masters is a health enthusiast, researcher and veteran of the Natural Products industry. He is devoted to educating others on the benefits of weight management using natural solutions including a balanced diet.

Brandon H. Masters is a health enthusiast, researcher and veteran of the Natural Products industry. He is devoted to educating others on the benefits of weight management using natural solutions including a balanced diet. Weight Loss Diet

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

My liver works hard to filter and clean all that I put into my body as well as what I am exposed to in the course of my life. I have come to know and value the healing power of essential oils and plan a liver detoxification regime that will cleanse and build my liver. Young Living Essential Oils makes it easy to cleanse the liver and the colon with 100% therapeutic grade oils.

 

Back to Table of Contents

"Great is the matter of birth and death,
Time passes quickly.
Wake-up! Wake-up!
Don't waste a minute."

-on the wall outside of the Zendo at the Zen Center of Denver