Great communication in a marriage is like a good GPS system. Driving directions are announced well before they need to happen. When you hear “prepare to turn right” you know you can put on your signal and smoothly prepare yourself, your vehicle and other passengers for the turn. Without that announcement, you’re forced to cut people off & you may even cause an accident.
Bad communication in a relationship is like making abrupt turns to your unsuspecting partner. If you tell your wife you’re going to be home by a certain time you’ve “announced your turn.” If you fail to tell your husband about a coworker who makes you uncomfortable with romantic gestures and inappropriate comments, you are operating your vehicle without signal lights and may be headed for a head on collision.
The next time you think about communicating with your significant other, try to mimic a good GPS system.
- There is a clear destination and a roadmap on the best way to get there.
- Be proactive and communicate both the good and the bad, as much as possible.
- Imagine that your partner is following you and think of how much easier it will be to follow you with your signals on.
BMWK – have you ever been in a relationship where the lack of communication just made things chaotic?