Posts Tagged ‘Relationships’

Money or Relationship: Symptom or Cause?

January 28, 2012

We have all heard it before. When a relationship fails, it is often stated that money problems caused the failure.

In many cases this is true, one partner loses their job or runs up unknown debts, which leads to relationship disharmony and eventually breakup or divorce. But what if there were a little discussed, often avoided cause that preceded the symptoms and was in fact the “real” culprit?

We all know that if you address symptoms and do not fix the cause — the problem won’t be resolved and it will continue… often from one relationship to another. Kind of like a silent serial killer that lurks in the shadows undetected only to pounce at the most inopportune moment and wreak havoc.

After working one-on-one with thousands of couples from all walks of life, I have come to the conclusion that relationships are one of the most challenging areas of life for most people — and yet they have an enormous impact on ones quality of life. If you sit down with any couple it doesn’t take long to notice patterns of behavior that either add to or take away from the relationship.

Many money problems first manifested themselves in ones relationship dynamic (which includes all relationships — home, work, family etc.) which then shows up tangibly in the money dynamic. So if money problems are often (but not always) the symptoms and relationship disharmony the cause — then no amount of focusing on money and finances will solve the money problems.

You won’t succeed in keeping a leaky boat afloat if all you do is grab a bucket and bail out the incoming water! What is required for sustainable, long-term success is to first bail the water out, then plug the holes in the boat to prevent more water from coming in. Yes, this sounds logical and easy… and yet how often do people do the logical and reasonable thing when it comes to money?

So if your money dynamic isn’t flowing the way you would like, perhaps you could look to your relationship dynamic for some other causes of the problem? And at the end of the day, your relationships all reflect the most important relationship of all… the relationship you have with yourself.

© Goldzone Education. All rights reserved.

Productivity In A Masculine Feminine Partnership

April 17, 2009

The purpose of this article is to highlight one of the oldest and most pervasive dramas that exist between men and woman, and to provide a roadmap of what to do to get out of what we refer to as the “plot”.

When we talk of the plot, we are referring to the story or interrelated sequence of events that exists between two or more people. The nature of a plot is that it takes a minimum of two sides in order to exist. When one side decides to exit the plot and takes the necessary steps to do this – the plot can no longer exist. Therefore, if a plot is existing, then both sides are contributing to it.

A relationship is often a complex web of plots that combine into a major theme. Therefore, if you can identify and resolve the major themes, you can experience a quantum leap in your results and level of intimacy.

In an ideal scene both partners would equally develop their masculine and feminine characteristics with one partner utilizing more masculine qualities and the other utilizing more feminine qualities in their expression with each other.

Problems occur in a partnership when one of the partners has not developed or embraced the characteristics of their gender. This forces their partner to compensate by taking on and expressing the opposite characteristics of their gender.

In other words if a man isn’t fully developed in his masculine role, then the woman in the partnership is forced to take on and act out the masculine traits that her partner isn’t owning. On the other hand, when a woman is over-expressing masculine characteristics, then the man is forced to become more effeminate and to under-express their masculine characteristics.

This can show up as a lack of male productivity – resulting in a lower than normal self-worth and a low income. For a man, his self-esteem is directly connected to his sense of productivity.

So if you want to disempower a man, make him feel unproductive. If you want to disempower a woman, make her feel ugly.

The basic masculine and feminine characteristics or qualities are as follows:

Masculine Qualities Feminine Qualities
  1. Achievement
  2. Acquisition
  3. Action
  4. Assertive
  5. Competitive
  6. Control
  7. Courage
  8. Dominance
  9. Drive
  10. Force
  11. Goal oriented
  12. Identity
  13. Intellectual
  14. Logic
  15. Motivation
  16. Productive
  17. Protection
  18. Reasoning
  19. Solution oriented
  20. Strength
  21. Systematic
  1. Accepting
  2. Attraction
  3. Beauty
  4. Caring
  5. Connection
  6. Cooperative
  7. Creativity
  8. Empathy
  9. Experiential
  10. Flexibility
  11. Inspiration
  12. Nurture
  13. Perceptive
  14. Receptive
  15. Retreat
  16. Sensitive
  17. Sensuality
  18. Softness
  19. Spontaneity
  20. Supportive
  21. Tenderness

To the extent that a person is missing or overdeveloped in any of these qualities, they will draw partners to themselves who play right into their plot!

So the first key to escape this scenario is to look at which of the masculine and feminine characteristics you have developed and are able to express – and which are underdeveloped and unexpressed in you.

The second key, is to look at which of the masculine and feminine characteristics your partner has developed and are able to express – and which are underdeveloped and unexpressed in them.

For example, if both partners are overly competitive – then you will have a partnership that is combative, argumentative and constantly challenging. The solution in this example is not for the man to win the competition, or to back down. This will only lead to a lack of productivity. The most effective solution would be for the woman to stop being competitive with the man, and to focus on supporting him to channel his competitive spirit into an appropriate expression that benefits the partnership.

This is not to say that the woman should not be competitive, or that the man should not be supportive of her competitive expression. What we are saying is that in the partnership, they should not compete with each other!

And finally, if a man is getting all his needs met, is productive, expressive and the woman is not getting her needs met, she will either shut down sexually, or become nagging and controlling. A healthy balance of masculine and feminine characteristics in both partners, with each partner expressing the characteristics of their gender – is the only way to develop and sustain a fulfilling, productive and rewarding partnership.

© Goldzone Education. All rights reserved.

How Will We Love?

April 7, 2009

Confront And The Financial Crisis

March 3, 2009

With the financial crisis deepening, many of our worst fears are being realized.  With the Waves of Impact continuing to wash over us, we are being confronted by financial losses on a never-before-seen scale. Entire industries are at risk of being wiped out. Previously invulnerable mega-corporations are being brought to their knees. Hidden weaknesses are being exposed.

As individuals we are being faced with the complete loss or at least dramatic reduction in the value of our retirement accounts. It can feel like we are being confronted on all sides. How do we cope with the uncertainty?

Now is an excellent time to consider the meaning of the word CONFRONT. Most people don’t think about their ability to confront and what can be done to confront difficult situations more easily, with less stress and more effectively.

Here is the definition of Confront:

CONFRONT: n. 1. An action of being able to face without flinching or avoiding. 2. The ability to be there comfortably and perceive.

So confront means to be able to see what is there, comfortably without flinching, wanting to withdraw or running away. Often, to fully understand a word, it is easier to look at the opposite. What does “non-confront” mean? It simply means the inability to see what is there. An inability to face something. Why can’t we confront something? Because to confront means PAIN. It is too painful to view so we withdraw and refuse to look at the area.

Notice that the definition describes confront as an ability? It isn’t something you do, it is an ability that we develop over time. The ability to see more and more of the truth.

There is also what is called “low-confront” which is where a person can confront a little, can see a little of the truth of what is there… But not all of it.

How do you improve your ability to confront? The same way you improve any other ability, focus, attention and practice. And, dealing with the pain that had you not confronting the area in the first place.

As you can see, the ability to confront is directly connected to the ability to handle change. If a person can’t confront the future, or the unknown… Then they will stay in their comfort zone, and remain stuck in the past.

© Goldzone Foundation. All rights reserved.


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