Not my Advice

What do you do when it seems like everything you do doesn't work? Trying to motivate the husband to be better and more excited about church. I know this has been asked before but perhaps you have some more insight and information this time. Trying to get him to have a better attitude, at least that is what I think he needs, perhaps he doesn't.

Thanks for the question. You're right that I have touched on this before, and honestly I don't have any further insight. Except that I want to touch on your first sentence:

What do you do when it seems like everything you do doesn't work?

Whether you are talking about motivating your husband, or disciplining your children, or any number of things, there are always times when we all feel like this.

The solution is simple and we've heard it before, but I think it's so simple that we often "look beyond the mark."

There is someone there who is supposed to "pick up all the slack" When we've done all we can do, then it is "by His grace that we are saved."

So my answer? Pray. I know that seems almost too simple, but it's the only thing I know to do that will work with 100% gaurantee. "Pray like everything depends on Him, and then get up and work like everything depends on you." Pres. Hinckley

In your case, the "work" part is probably to sit back, listen to the Spirit and trust in your faith.

Good luck!

-Amy

Family Ties

Hey Amy, me again. I have a question. What do you do when you have a family member of your new husband (say a sister) who basically does not like you, says she does not have the time to get to know you to see if she would like you, and is actually outwardly mean, rude, and cruel to you at family gatherings. Lets say I have tried to be nice, tried to get to know them a little, and tried so much I just want to quit now. So my husband stepped in. He talked to her, she says she is just stressed and could care less what I think. This talking to has been done twice, once on the phone and once in person, with no good outcome. While I get along great with the mother in law, the sister tends to say things to her that are not so nice about me (even though we never talk, so that is a bit befuzzeling), and she passes them on. So talking to her becomes a hard conversation as this sister is caring for the MIL most of the time. So, do you have any suggestions as to what I should do? Is giving up and not caring so much about it really the answer, or is that not the right thing to do? All opinions welcomed...Thanks!

Well, it's hard to answer this without knowing the parties involved, but I would say that you have done the right things so far. If this were not family, then I would say that sometimes you just have to protect yourself and to walk away. But since you can't just always avoid this person I would have to say that you should just keep being nice. Always. This doesn't mean that you have to be a doormat, but as long as you know you are living with integrity and your slate is clean, then the other family members will know it too. Your MIL may listen to the sister in the short term, but if you stick to your guns and remain nice and trustworthy, she will come to know the truth about you in the long run. Families are tough. It's hard to know how much to forgive and how much to stand up for yourself. Don't get me wrong-being nice doesn't mean that you have to be best friends with this person. I'm sure you and your husband will find the balance that meets your needs.

Good luck!
Amy

On Callings

Anonymous said...
I have two callings. One is pretty intense and I like it, the other one I, well I guess I will have to be blunt, hate. I have been having trouble feeling the spirit while serving because I just don’t like it at all. I keep feeling like they got the wrong person for the job. I want to serve happily but I just don’t like the calling. My husband just does not understand, he is the best at everything and I feel inadequate. I feel very guilty as I have never before felt like this and just don’t know what to do??

I have a few simple suggestions:
1. Talk to your Bishop about how you feel. That's what he's there for. It doesn't mean that you are asking to be released or trying to get out of anything, but if he knows how you feel, then he will be able to receive inspiration on your behalf as to best help.
2. I think it's okay that you hate a calling. We are not required to love every minute of service, we are only required to serve the best we can. I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase, "Fake it until you make it." You may hate it and go through the motions for awhile, but if you act like you love it, someday it may appear that you really do.
3. Don't worry that your husband doesn't understand. I'm sure he cares and is willing to help. But please do not compare yourself to him or anyone else. We are all given our own set of experiences to help us learn and grow. His turn will come.
4. As far as feeling guilty-I completely understand. But please know that this is a feeling that the Lord does not want us to have. He loves you and wants you to turn to Him. The Atonement is there for these circumstances as well. Pray sincerely to have peace. I'm sure it will come.

Please feel free to email me with any follow up. Good luck to you!
-Amy

Question Request

There was a question posted in comment form about callings...but somehow it got deleted through the process of changing some things on this site. If that person could please post her question again I would appreciate it. If not, I will try to remember the gist and answer accordingly.

Thanks again to everyone for your support.

Love, Amy

Happily Ever After

Throughout this week, I have seen marriages begin, and marriages end. And so I want to pay tribute to the fact that I believe that marriage is wonderful, and I fully support it. I also wanted to express my love for my husband and let everyone know how happy I am in my own marriage. This is an article that expresses some of the ways that we can make our marriages great.


Ten Tips for a Happy Marriage by Neli A. Rogers, MS, LMFT
Monday, January 14, 2008
Most people believe marriage is important and that the family is the fundamental unit of society. People get married with great hopes to “live happily ever after,” but it is not easy to maintain the love and happiness they experienced during courtship in the day-to-day struggles of married life.
I have worked with couples for many years as a marriage and family therapist, and as such I have developed many practical ideas to help couples build a happy marriage.

Here are my top ten tips.
1.Discover what makes each other happy. Couples need to live what I call the Golden Rule for Married Couples: Do unto the other as he or she would like it done. Often in a loving relationship, people tend to use projection—the subjective act of attributing one’s own feelings to others; the tendency to “hear” others’ feelings in relationship to one’s own self-concept and experiences. When spouses use projection, they think that what they want is the same as what their spouse wants. We are all individuals and we are all different. Therefore, what makes one partner happy may not necessarily be what makes the other partner happy. If you take time to find out what each other really wants and “do unto to the other as he/she would like it done,” your relationship will flourish.

2.Share alike in doing the household chores. Research has shown that couples who work together stay together. Both husband and wife need to feel they are equally yoked. This will bring a sense of equality in the marriage and will help prevent feelings of resentment that could come if one spouse is doing more for the family and relationship than the other. Couples need to be very clear about what is expected of each other regarding household duties. The most important rule to follow here is that both partners agree to the division of duties. Be clear and straightforward when discussing roles.

3.Be respectful and caring even when you are resolving conflicts in the relationship. When people are upset, they tend to act on their emotions. To be successful in relationships, sometimes people need to behave differently from how they feel. Couples need to learn how to regulate their emotions so they don’t “take it out” on each other. You should not engage in trying to resolve issues when you are too emotionally upset and unable to be reasonable and caring towards each other. If needed, take a time out, cool off first, and rehearse the conversation in your mind before you discuss it with your spouse. Make a firm decision never to be disrespectful to your partner even in the heat of battle.

4· Learn good communication skills. To be successful in marriage, you need to be able to communicate your thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants in a straightforward manner. You also need to be a good listener. Allow your spouse to express his or her thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants freely and safely.

5. Learn how to stay in love. Spend time together building your relationship. When couples are courting, they spend a lot of time together, and when they are not together, they find ways to communicate often. After marriage, some couples drift apart. They no longer spend as much time together, are not as affectionate, and don’t devote special attention to each other as they did during courtship. This leads couples to lose their loving feelings toward each other. You need to spend quality couple’s time together frequently to continue to build the relationship. Go on dates regularly to have fun, not to discuss issues. Keep the love alive!

6.Maintain a healthy physical relationship. Physical intimacy is different for men and women. Both spouses should be mindful of each other’s needs and reach compromises that will fulfill these needs. After children arrive, it becomes more difficult for a couple to maintain the same level of physical intimacy, but you need to make time to keep your physical relationship a priority.

7.Do everything with common consent. People in happy marriages never do important things without an agreement between the spouses. Couples need to balance the feelings and interests of both partners when making decisions. You need to make sure you understand how important an issue is to each other and only decide on a course of action after you both have agreed and are happy with the decision. Don’t expect to have everything your own way; be willing to compromise.

8.Little changes in you can lead to huge changes in the relationship. Sometimes when people are in a conflicted relationship, they feel discouraged because they think the changes required to resolve their relationship issues are too great and they’ll never be able to accomplish such changes. However, often all you need to do is find one or two small but significant things to change, and this will alter the direction you are headed. Over time, these changes will lead you to a very different place. You may need the help of a professional to identify what these significant changes might be.

9.Be grateful for each other. Gratitude has been statistically linked to happiness and hope. In every relationship there are positives and negatives. Find the positives in your relationship. Be grateful for your partner and express your love and gratitude for each other daily.

10.Develop empathy. Empathy means to place oneself in another person’s shoes and understand how he or she feels. It is a process of partial identification with the feelings of others while still being aware that the others’ feelings are owned by them and are somewhat different from yours. It focuses upon the feelings of the other. When you have empathy toward your spouse, you will be more effective in applying the other tips for a successful marriage.

Neli A. Rogers is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in San Antonio, Texas. She has been married for 32 years to Dwayne Rogers, and they have four children and seven grandchildren.
LDS Living Magazine, Jan/Feb Issue

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Christmas Presents

Allison Deming said...
Ok I am finally going to utilize your advice. What do you do when the Christmas traditions of a new family are SO different on each side. My side of the family, lots of gifts, everyone gets everyone something - sometimes more than one something, etc. His side of the family, draw names, one gift, $20 limit. Now, these are quite reflective of the difference in family financial situations. My side, no problems at all, his side much more diverse and a great need to be frugal in one or two families (if you need more detail here, I can call or something!). I have heard you should do the same for both sides, but I have two nieces who are always used to getting a gift from Aunt Ali, and my Brother, Sister in Law, Mom and Dad always get one too. They have no problem understanding if when changed, but the kids of course would, they are too young. But, I cannot change what my family does for us. My brother will get me more than one gift, and my parents will get more than one for both Justin and I...probably more than 3 actually. You want to be reciprocal right? So I should get them all something...that is how I feel, but are we being equal? Justin thinks leaving things the way they are is fine, but I worry it could cause problems down the road...never know. So what is kosher for family Christmas gift giving when you get married? All advice welcome...

Dear Allison,
You answered your own question when you said, "Justin thinks leaving things the way they are is fine." I agree with Justin. Our families have kept things the same way that we had them growing up. But there is some flexibility that is needed when you get married and are trying to meld traditions. We switch off holidays every year between our families. However, both of our parents will be with us this year. But it's the in-laws year-so we're going to be doing Christmas their way this year. But my in-laws do try to incorporate some of my most important traditions to their own. But I never try to push anything. I think being flexible and forgiving is the most important thing. Your families probably don't quite know what to do either. Communication is really important. And if you're worried about things down the road-I would say just keep an eye on the situation. If you can tell that tension has sprung up-then talk to the offended party and fix it. But "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Thanks for the question. Merry Christmas!

-Amy