Is Your Relationship A Sinking Ship? How to Unload the Excess Cargo!

 Relationships begin with a hint of magic, a dash of hope and a lot of faith. Love is inspiring; it lifts our spirits and allows our dreams to soar to fruition. Life has a whole new vibration of energy when we are in love and loved. It's like a magnetic force of energy that beckons us to become the best we can be.

In the beginning... that was then and this is now. Is your relationship floundering like a sinking ship? Buried under the weight of commitments to people, places and things that have come on board like a thief in the night?

When we think our relationship is really strong we begin to take it for granted, assuming it can handle any stress or excess baggage that arrives in our lives. No one is more surprised than the two who are in the relationship when they suddenly realize the proverbial ship is listing on its side, floundering and in danger of sinking.

When this happens it's time to take stock of what has boarded your ship and see what must be eliminated to right the ship and resume smooth sailing. Many times it is your priorities that have changed; you may have taken for granted that your partner will agree to resolve anything that comes up, at any cost to your time together. You have lost the ability to recognize danger in the cargo you have boarded on your ship.

Taking the time to step back and carefully examine what you have allowed to encroach into your space creates a shift of perception; a paradigm shift occurs when you see the reality of a situation and realize you must act to change course or risk colliding with catastrophe.

Assuming a combative position on a situation that is not likely to change is the most typical cause of the ship flailing about. You disagree and fail to recognize how important the issue is to your partner; engaging in a war you cannot win. Or if you persist and win, you will alienate your partner; a price that may not be worth the win.

Continuing this position only reinforces the battle and causes greater pain and bitterness when someone must give in to end the battle. Be aware and respectful of what is important to each other. Assuming an angry combative position assures your partner that you are no longer one.

Excess baggage can happen when you allow friends or relatives to encroach into your home or lives so deeply that you no longer have time to attend to your own lives. Allowing others to move into your space, to take excess time from you on the phone or computer, all of these create a separation of your time with each other, silently signaling that these things are more important than your relationship.

Spending excessive time on the computer or any other outside interest that slowly becomes a habit you are more committed to than sharing time with each other is equally toxic to a relationship. This includes volunteering to be the super mom or dad in the neighborhood and assuming others parental duties, allowing your job to take precedence over the time together by offering more than is required, or even bringing it home daily. All of this is excess baggage that can tilt your relation 'ship' to a disastrous position.

Assume the Caption's position on your ship and take stock of what has become excess baggage and what is necessary to change or eliminate to right the ship and restore the magic to the your journey.