146. Friendship and Connection or Friction and Distance — What’s the state of your relationship?
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Do you remember that vibrant sense of friendship you had early on in your relationship? It was a strong connection and it created this pull toward each other that was almost irresistible.
But somewhere amid the crazy schedules, complex relationships, and differences of perspective, maybe you feel more like business partners or roommates these days. Or worse yet, battling foes rather than friends.
If you can relate to any of that (or if you want to avoid getting to that point) — this episode is for you!
The truth is, we all need to experience genuine friendship with our partner.
But when the common stress and busyness of blended family life hits, it's easy to deprioritize your friendship — or even neglect it altogether.
When that happens, the closeness you once enjoyed begins to wane and you slowly begin feeling disconnected from one another.
But that doesn't have to be you. It's time to get intentional about growing and maintaining your friendship and focus on rekindling genuine connection in your relationship.
In this episode, we'll share how a challenging season in our journey led to an 'easy wrong turn' that unintentionally slid our marriage to the back burner and we ended up losing friendship for a while — it was pretty sad.
We'll also share some specific steps we took to revive our friendship and save our marriage — even when we didn't like each other very much.
You'll Discover:
Why friendship is so important in marriage
The most common 'easy wrong turns' couples make that can dissolve their friendship and their connection
Practical steps you can take to grow and maintain your friendship — or rekindle it
Resources from this Episode:
Episode 79. 4 Conflict Communication Patterns that are Hurtful and Toxic to Your Relationship
Episode 98. Is Fear of Being Vulnerable Keeping You From Loving Your Spouse Wholeheartedly
Episode 129. What Does It Take to Build and Maintain Trust in Your Relationship
Episode 123. How to Connect More and Rekindle Romance in Your Relationship - Even If Your Super Busy
Episode 78. Cultivating More Passion, Intimacy, and Commitment in Your Marriage
Article from The Gottman Institute: F is for Friendship
Book from The Gottman Institute: Eight Dates
Ready for personalized support? Schedule your free coaching call
We all need some extra support along the blending journey — we're here to help. You can connect with us for a free coaching call to see how we might help you experience more clarity, confidence, and connection in your home. Schedule your free call here: https://calendly.com/mikeandkimcoaching/freesession
Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start?
With so many episodes available here on the show, it might feel a bit overwhelming to find the topics that matter most to you. That's why we've created the Blended Family Breakthrough Quiz which will direct you to the most impactful episodes that pertain to you personally.
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