Do you always have to be right in your relationship?

In the early days of our relationship, we were both too fixated on trying to communicate and drive our points across so well, believing it's how we'd be heard and understood.

But no matter how hard we tried to prove our point, we didn't truly hear or understand each other because we were stubborn or had a closed mind.

Eventually, we learned articulating our point is a losing battle.

Gabes, for example, can explain himself eloquently but Anna's stubbornness can sometimes overshadow his efforts.

So, instead of trying to articulate his point, Gabes now seeks to facilitate good communication by empathising with Anna's feelings.

Healthy communication, especially in marriage, is never about making a point.

It's about genuinely and intentionally seeking to understand each other's perspectives, which can be a very humbling experience.

On top of it all, our efforts to improve our relationship communication allow us to develop a deeper level of connection with each other.

The Bottomline

Winning arguments isn't as important as the ability to practice active listening with an open heart and value each other's perspectives.

Effective communication in relationships takes work.

In our case, we're still a work in progress. We need to continuously work on our effective communication skills, especially our active listening skills so that we can truly understand our partner's point and promote a healthy relationship.

What poor communication habits are you trying to work on in your romantic relationship? How are you trying to improve communication skills with your partner?

We'd love to hear your thoughts on effective communication, so please don't forget to leave a comment below!

Discover what else we've learned in our eight years of marriage by reading here.

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