This Marriage Thing

Staying connected as a couple is the ultimate goal, yet few things cause angst and disconnect in marriage like finances. Do you and your spouse agree on how your money should be handled? ...and are you both taking the time to discuss your finances on a regular basis? If this is a tough one for you, you’re not alone. In this episode, we are joined by Safie Russell, CPA, EA, MST, as we discuss some of the money challenges couples face, and what you need to know to begin to get your money matters in order. If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

Are you hug deprived?? We thought we had this thing covered --not so much! We are definitely slacking in this area. If we realized before now how beneficial hugs are, we would’ve been hugging each other and our KIDS much more often. But, there’s no time like the present...we can make up for lost time, right?! Absolutely ;) If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

Domestic violence does not discriminate. If you’ve ever wondered how someone like you ended up in a relationship where you’re not being treated the way you should, or why someone you know doesn’t acknowledge the red flags in their own relationship, we have some answers for you. In this riveting episode with our special guest, Empathy and Resilience Expert - Dr. Dwayne Buckingham, he candidly explains how Domestic Violence can affect women at every level. The fact that you’re a CEO, a stay at home Mom, a “nice” person, or a good catch, does not mean that you’re immune to this issue. And shaming another person who is dealing with this, and already struggling emotionally, does not make it any easier for them to seek help. Stigma has kept us quiet for long enough. If this issue affects you, get help. If it affects someone you know, share this episode with them. And if you have moved on from a relationship where Domestic Violence was an issue, you are survivor, as I am. Keep moving forward, stay up and stay blessed

No one wakes up one day and suddenly finds themselves involved in an extramarital affair. It just doesn’t happen that way, does it. There are “signs” when you’re headed in that direction ...they’re very subtle in the beginning, but recognizable if you’re paying attention. Do you know the signs? If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

We’re all in this marriage thing for the long-haul. Everything we do can either add or detract from the health of our marriage...and our body. Sometimes we need to do the things we don’t want to do —like exercise and eat healthy— to get the results we want to have. And when you journey toward fitness together, you’re even more likely to succeed. You’ve got this! We’ll see you at the finish line. If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

What Love Language do you speak? We express our love in many different ways. Sometimes, even with the best intentions, our love is not received as we hope it will be. Learning to speak the love language your significant other understands and choosing to speak it often, will make a strong bond even stronger, and can give a struggling relationship a much needed boost. To find out your own love language, and that of the ones you love, go to www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

Have you ever struggled with unforgiveness? If you have, you are not alone. It should be easy to forgive the ones we love most, shouldn’t it? Then, why does it sometimes seem like we hold onto hurts and offenses caused by those closest to us much than we expect to? True forgiveness is a delicate process, but it can be mastered. Rawle Mitchell is passionate about healing marriages and has helped transform the lives of individuals and couples in the US and abroad. He shares the roadmap to healing “from the inside out” in this episode. If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

What is the state of your family trust? When we think about keeping our house in order, every core family member should be considered. Is your household secure?    If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

Most couples don’t have hundreds of arguments, they have the same argument hundreds of times. It’s not always about trying to fix something that’s broken…maybe it’s about starting over  and creating something different. –Unknown Good communication is not the cause of a good marriage, it is the result of having a strong emotional connection. When you both care enough to slow down and take the time to go a little deeper to see the heart of the issue, it makes all the difference. We can get through almost anything if we make the decision to fight fair ...even in the face of even the gravest of relationship issues. Imago Dialogue Steps http://www.integralpsychology.org/uploads/1/5/3/0/15300482/the_imago_dialogue_101.pdf (Credit: Integral Psychology) Sender Flow Chart https://www.pinterest.com/pin/27303141464142165 (Credit: Pinterest) Receiver Flow Chart https://www.pinterest.com/pin/27303141464142187 (Credit: Pinterest) If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!!!

When you are married for any length of time, one thing is certain, you WILL argue. Differences of opinion and disagreements are inevitable, and that's alright! It may sound counter-intuitive, but arguing is very healthy for a marriage. Expressing your feelings releases tension, anxiety and even fear. Believe it or not, some couples don't argue (...or so they say). The vast majority of couples, who DO argue, should know that there is a 'better" way to disagree. How we argue with our spouse will determine whether our relationship will end up being healthy or unhealthy. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!!!

When we don’t know better, we compromise on love... ..believe me, I’ve done it, and I lived with the consequences .. ..but that just means we’re not being honest with ourselves about what we deserve. Thankfully, I’m in a different place now, and I have a husband who is worthy of all the love I have to give...in episode 7 I’ll tell you why.

As a husband, we have a lot of responsibilities. One, is learning how to love our wife. We have to give her the comfort of knowing that we will always be there for her. Show appreciation for her being in your life and tell her you love her always. Take the time to enjoy your life together. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething. Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!

Mindset is everything. When you and your spouse set the intention to “10X” your marriage, you make the decision to kick your awareness up a couple notches and remove any and all roadblocks and distractions that could take you off track. Having a clear vision of what you want your life together to feel like…connected, purposeful, passionate, etc. ...will give you the greatest chance to achieve it.  These are 10 core principles…non-negotiables. When you go the extra mile to build and maintain a healthy relationship, this marriage thing will not only work, it will thrive.  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And feel free to take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething . Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time Peace and Love!!!

What do you mean GET A LIFE?! We each HAD a “life” before we got married, didn’t we? Of course we did.. Then, we joyfully and deliberately made the decision to put life as we knew it aside and enter into this blessed covenant called marriage...and now.. we are ONE. Well, what in the world happened to the person we were before we dove heart first into this new reality? Married life brings with it countless “opportunities to sacrifice” (wasn’t that a nice way to say it? lol) in the name of Love. But, must we fully sacrifice our individuality, our quirky ways AND our passions? And if you have managed to maintain an incredibly strong sense of individuality, or you can’t imagine a moment away from your spouse, is it possible to cross the line and take even that too far? ..Did I just hear a RED FLAG alert??? Enjoy this episode, and thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time, PEACE and LOVE.

If you’ve been married for any length of time, you know that going through phases in your relationship is a given. In the very beginning, once you and your Sweetheart officially became a couple, there was an effortless, EUPHORIC energy between you, and nary enough hours in the day to express your love. Romance and spontaneity was a given. Then it happened...you became engaged and your EAGERNESS to begin your life together as Husband and Wife was almost tangible. Lovvve was definitely in the air... what’s more Romantic than that?! The wedding day followed, as did the honeymoon, and you wondered what people meant when they said the honeymoon stage wouldn’t last forever. It sure felt like it would. Once a few years pass by, then a few more, it’s clear that a little thoughtfulness and ENCOURAGEMENT from the one you love is just what’s needed to give your relationship a boost from time to time. No, Romance is not dead...it’s still there under the surface. But, it needs to be reawakened purposely, lovingly and often.. ...it is worth every effort. Enjoy.

When we make the decision to get married, we imagine that life with our spouse will be relatively uncomplicated. We are so in lovvve that we picture ourselves HAPPY as a clam, day in and day out. What’s so complicated about being with THE ONE? You couldn’t even think about your spouse-to-be without a big smile spreading across your face and heart, could you?…go ahead…reminisce, then smile…no one’s watching. Never considering why the saying “Happy Wife, Happy Life” has been joked about amongst men and women alike for decades, we think, “that’ll never be something I’ll have to worry about!…what is so funny about that anyway?” And then one fine day, you find out what we all do…most of us are just doing the best we can. And many men are eager to do whatever they feel is necessary to keep their wives happy. But, consider this…what most women really want is a happy HOME. Yes, that’s right. A happy HOME. And that includes your happiness, “Hubby.” Happy homes thrive on a new mantra…”Happy spouse, Happy HOUSE.” The secret to a happy marriage is being willing to do what it takes to love and honor each other. Life is simply too short to have it any other way. Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time, PEACE and LOVE.

Marriage is one of the most incredible and fulfilling journeys in life. A man who “findeth a wife findeth a good thing,” indeed! When you’re with the one you love and are committed to nurturing and growing your relationship, realizing that you’re two separate people who’ve come together as one to do this thing called LIFE, beautiful things happen. Marriage is also one of the most complex, humbling and heart wrenching experiences you will ever know…EVER. It often looks sooo good from the outside, doesn’t it? We see a couple out and about, looking so good together…looking like they have not a care in the world, and we assume that what we see is ALL there is…blessed and wedded BLISS (insert “awwww” emoji here). The question we all have to answer sooner or later is, “What does it take to truly make a marriage good from the INSIDE out?” We, personally have been through experiences that have cultivated our knowledge and greatly enriched our understanding of what it takes to maintain a healthy marriage. Co-Producing our first Marriage Symposium a couple years ago in New York opened our eyes and our hearts to the patterns and truths that are very common in Marriage, but rarely spoken about openly. We’ll offer a window into our lives as we bring you helpful tips and invaluable tools from experts in the field. We’ll discuss some of the struggles we’ve personally overcome, and be transparent about some of the challenges we’re still trying to master, as we share many of the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Please do review us on iTunes or whatever podcast platform you listen on. If you give us a five star rating we might just shout you out on one of our future episodes! And if this particular episode resonated with you, take a screenshot and share it on IG or FB and tag us @thismarriagething or #thismarriagething. Thank you for joining us on the THIS MARRIAGE THING journey. Until next time, PEACE and LOVE.