Tuesday, January 27, 2009

COMMITMENT GUIDELINES

GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND COMMITMENT GUIDELINES:
-Focus on growing your FRIENDSHIP

-Agree to an EXCLUSIVE relationship
-Titles (boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, etc) are OPTIONAL, based on the couple
-Commit to the person for who they are right now, and not who you think they can POTENTIALLY be
-Set BOUNDARIES that both partners agree on
-BE REAL – so your friendship can reflect that. Be you from the jump!
-LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH – so if it’s too much work, you have the option to walk away


HUSBAND/WIFE COMMITMENT GUIDELINES:
-Marry your BEST FRIEND

-A formal commitment to an EXCLUSIVE relationship
-Titles ARE NOT OPTIONAL
-Eliminated the POTENTIALS and determined this person (good and bad) is who I want, raw and uncensored
-Set BOUNDARIES that both partners agree on (could be same from before marriage)
-Continue to BE REAL so your marriage will be based in truth
-LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH – it takes hard work but don’t make quitting an option



Thursday, January 22, 2009

My man, yes...but a husband you are not!

I’m trying to get a clear understanding of what being “committed” means in these days and times. A piece of paper will undoubtedly legalize the union but, theoretically, you both were still monogamous prior to the ceremony. You use this time as a testing period to see if this person can hold your interest...for life. Guidelines and boundaries are established early on in the relationship, even if they are subtle exchanges of information.

Often we solely say, “Yes we are together,” and just expect the other party to be on the same page; we expect them to act along the perimeters we deem feasible. So, I don’t have this down to a science, but thank God for my blog family because now I want us to create a list: GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND rules vs. HUSBAND/WIFE rules.

But first tell me if you think the GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND titles are juvenile since we are no longer girls and boys.

Here I’ll start:
I think I’d rather refer to my mate as my “man,” because a boy, he is not! On the other hand I think, to hell with the technicalities and I just want to conform to the norm. Saying “boyfriend” will cut to the chase: “yes that’s my dude, but we aren’t married, and we aren’t engaged.”

GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND COMMITMENT GUIDELINE # 1:
Agree to an exclusive relationship

HUSBAND/WIFE COMMITMENT GUIDELINE # 1:
A formal commitment to an exclusive relationship


PLEASE ADD TO THIS SO WE CAN GET A GOOD LIST COMPILED AND FIND OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT'S EXPECTED AT THE START (GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND) AND THE END (HUSBAND/WIFE) OF A RELATIONSHIP.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Don't Date Women over 30!

"I had baggage but now I only take a carry on...I like to travel light" - Shelli Tinae

A friend of mine told me that he is "almost" done with women that are 30 and over (what I like to call 30 plussers). He says they have too much baggage weighing them down and that greatly lessens their potential for "wifie" status.

He went on to tell me that he took a 30 plusser on a date and he complimented her on her perfume; then he asked her the name of the fragrance. She refused to tell him. The woman later confessed that she didn't tell him because she didn't want him to go out and buy it for another woman so he could smell it on her.

He's "almost" done and trying to maintain his liberal stance on dating. This is just one of his experiences with 30 plussers and he's getting fed up. I had to ask him: "So at what age does a woman have less baggage?"

"24-27…my research has shown that that is the range of optimal performance for a woman..in all aspects..she's at her best and brightest," he said.

He professes that yes, there are exceptions to the rule but, nonetheless, he still has lumped women over 30 into a problematic category that includes anger, baggage, and insecurities.

I will say that, the older a woman get's the more experience she has when you meet her - and that can either be good or bad. In fact, it's both good and bad. These experiences have shaped her current existence and a lot of women have let those experiences dictate how they interact with the men they meet. Ladies, not only is this unfair to them, but it's also unfair to you. No one wants to be tried in a court of law for someone else's crime.

I don't want to dog his point of view because I do think it's valid. Generally speaking, we need to add all of those experiences (good and bad) up and look at them as one GRAND lesson. There is no need to look back and dwell on the past because it is nothing more but the sum of this present moment and in theory should make you a better person because you will have learned who to BE and who not to BE.

On the other hand, this is not about age because age is relative. A woman 24-27 years old may have fewer experiences but they could have been severelydamaging to her character.

Men, before you start complaining about women, you need to take a look in the mirror because, after all...you are who attract. If you see reoccurring problems in your life, there is a lesson you are missing. So in the end, it's not about the women over 30, it's about renewing YOUR-SELF so your experiences with women reflect your renewed sense of self.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

2009 - THE YEAR OF TRUTH

We should never hesitate to say that we know the truth, because we do, for the realization of the unity of God and man is the truth. – Ernest Holmes

When you realize that GOD IS and works in and through you, lies cease to be an option because standing on the wings of truth, you realize it is your doorway to happiness; truth is the key that unlocks confusion in your heart. Your heart will ache if you allow lies the pleasure of acting as righteous.

All of our experiences are based on the nature of our thoughts and how we play them out in our lives. If we think truth – on a deep level – then we should voice that truth which will produce goodness in our lives. The truth resonates at a high frequency in your spirit and body and cannot be denied.

Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever – Psalm 119:160

I think the big problem is acting on the truth that we instinctively and unequivocally know. Yes, the word is true from the beginning but we have free will to mask the truth under a veil of lies. The catch is…you will never be free under that veil because you can’t see where you are and you definitely can’t see where you are heading if lies are your guide.

Nothing but goodness can come from the truth and there’s a sense of ease that comes with it - a sense of relief. In our youth we learned to lie to keep secrets of wrongdoing and to avoid punishment. That is hard to outgrow because even adults fear being punished and I think the biggest thing adults are scared of is being judged. People are going to view you from their own perspective no matter what so you may as well be viewed authentically. Only the truth will ensure you are surrounded by people of the same nature, thus eliminating the fear of punishment and judgment.

No more white lies; no more telling half but not all of the truth; no more concocting detailed lies in our mind so we can act them out later on the stage of illusion; no more fearing the truth will cripple us, when it fact, it will set us free.

Let’s start the NEW year with a NEW reason to be truthful; because without truth we stay in a vicious cycle of lies thus limiting our spiritual growth. Lies are to darkness what truth is to light. Stand in the light of truth and not in the darkness of your lies. Don’t lie to yourself because that’s where all thoughts begin and don’t perpetuate those lies by speaking them into existence.

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY THE TRUTH BE YOU….ALWAYS