Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. I Peter 3:9
Did you know that communication is the very lifeblood of your relationship? And yet it is the number one complaint most couples have about their relationship.
“We just don’t communicate,” is a common refrain in many counselors’ offices.
Or “We never have time just to talk” is one we hear a lot.
But the one that makes us cringe the most is “When we finally find the time to talk, we don’t have anything to say.”
Whether a relationship sinks or swims depends on how well a husband and wife send and receive messages, how well they use their conversations to understand and be understood.
“To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation.” – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Think about it. If you are feeling especially close to your partner, it is because you are communicating well. Your spirits are up. Your love life is full. You are in tune.
And when communication falls flat, when you feel stuck and you’re talking in circles, relational satisfaction drops. As we said in our book, Love Talk, communication, more than any other aspect of your relationship, can either buoy relational intimacy or be the deadweight of its demise.
That’s why this aspect of your relationship can always benefit from an infusion of quality time. Time and talk are always a winning combination.
A good conversation simply doesn’t happen while traveling at breakneck speed.
Experts agree that most couples need a good sixty minutes each day to converse. Lingering over the evening meal can often serve this purpose. For some couples it means taking advantage of a quiet house when the kids are in bed. Or maybe turning off the radio when you are driving together in the car, or turning off the TV when it is simply background noise – so you can talk.
