Let me address this issue of eternity, this promise many couples demand of each other and recite in standard wedding vows. Taken literally, this promise is broken more than it is kept. But "Till death do us part" can be interpreted differently.
In this phrase, "death" does not need to mean the end of physical life. It can mean the end of the couple's purpose for being together; once the purpose is fulfilled, the union no longer needs to continue.
Now that I have just shocked and mortified the majority of the human race, please allow me to explain further so you can have a clearer and deeper understanding.
When two people meet and grow in love, the purpose of their meeting is to help each other in a certain area, on a certain level of their lives. Now, I shall go into this in more detail in Chapter 4, Soul Mates. But here, I am not speaking of soul mates; I am speaking of those couples who find themselves in divorce court even though they once promised to be together for the remainder of their lives.
Of course there is nothing wrong with traditional marriage. It is a lovely concept. With all of the single parents in society today, however, this idea of "till death do us part" needs clarification.
How could you possibly promise something about a time that is decades away? How could you possibly be so sure that you and your partner will continue to grow together for the remainder of your lives and not grow apart? Why would you promise something you might not be able to fulfill?
Two people meet for a particular reason, a reason related to emotional growth or lessons to be learned to foster that growth so that they can become all they are meant to be, become who they really are, as opposed to their false perceptions of self.
Think about your own relationships or marriages. Was there one in which you felt so in love at first? And did you discover after a while that that particular partner had provided you with an opportunity for personal growth - an opportunity to awaken those aspects that had been dormant within you? And after you grew, did you still want that same person to remain as your partner?
Judging from the statistics on divorce in this country, my guess is that about half of the people reading this would answer "no." Someone entered your life; as a result of that relationship, you grew to be more of who you really are. When the relationship fulfilled its purpose, you no longer felt the need to remain together, so you went your separate ways.
But in many cases, two people are meant to share the remainder of their lives together; those are the couples who are still happily married decades later, and this is perfectly fine as well.
So, it is not that marriage is right or wrong, good or bad. It is a wonderful thing to be with one person for as long as the relationship is of mutual benefit, to help each other grow, to explore life, to engage your minds in new areas. But to remain together because of some recited obligation, long after you do not fit into each other's life, long after you have stopped growing and have no common purpose - that is the same as signing a contract with an employer stating, "I will work here, in this job, until death do us part. And no matter how my interests or life goals change, no matter how dissatisfied I am with this job, no matter how many other areas of my life I could fulfill if I were to have a different job, I will still stay with you as long as I live."
Does this make any sense at all? Of course not! Yet that is what couples do when they promise to remain together for the remainder of their lives. This is a ridiculous promise. In many cases it cannot and should not be fulfilled; in other cases it is wonderfully fulfilled.
Instead of promising to remain together forever, why not agree that you will be committed to each other as long as you can truly grow together, be there for each other, support each other's individual growth, be a true friend to each other, and as long as your union serves your highest good in all areas. Agree that if you grow apart, if your goals, perspectives, lifestyles, desires, purpose, interests, or intellectual and spiritual growth takes you each on a different path, then you will honor the other's path just as you honor your own. And you will separate for the good of both of you.
You deserve a partner who is truly your friend. Why should you sacrifice your entire life to remain with someone who deadens your senses rather than encouraging all of your senses to come alive? Just because you made a promise at an altar does not mean you have to keep that promise at the cost of your individual growth, self-worth, self-respect, and self-esteem, or your potential, goals, dreams, aspirations, and life purpose.
Marriage can be a wonderful thing; there is nothing intrinsically right or wrong with it. But - and this is a very large but - it is meant to last only as long as the purpose of both partners can be fulfilled. When that purpose - whether it be personal growth, having children, creating something together, learning how to relate - has run its course and the two parties truly become like strangers, it is time to part ways.
Now, this does not mean that when a couple experiences difficult times they should separate. No. Not at all. For to grow to understand, to reach beyond your comfort zone and grow to be your very best, both as an individual and as a couple takes work.
Rocky times are a challenge to be acknowledged, worked through, and resolved so you can experience deeper friendship, greater understanding, happier times, and higher levels of life experience together.
Do not think I am saying, "Oh, we disagree, so it's divorce time." No, absolutely not. What I am saying is that if you do not even recognize the person you are married to anymore, if both of you truly have grown and changed in so many areas, on so many levels that you share nothing in common anymore besides a mailing address, that is when the marriage has come to its natural finish. That is when it is time to part ways and to thank the other person for teaching you so much, for helping you grow to be more of who you really are. Throughout a separation and divorce you can display respect and gratitude for all you have learned and shared, and especially for all you have grown.
Honor your feelings. Trust your perceptions. Reach beyond your own desires to understand what the other is trying to communicate. Listen to their words, watch their actions, trust the feelings you pick up from them, and say it all out loud. Do not hold back. Be honest. Your pride is not as important as your personal truth, integrity, and happiness.
For if you place your pride above your personal truth, and you withhold your truth, you will find that you are ultimately alone, without the one you love and even without the love and support of your self. Holding back the real truth leads only to regret.
When you share your truth, even at the expense of your pride, at least you know you did your all. At least you do not live with regret.
Remember always and in all ways: Be true to yourself; be true to the other; dare to say how you feel; dare to express what you think; and dare to live, thrive, and grow, either alone or together. Either way, your desire to be all you can be, can be fulfilled only by honoring your truth and finding the love within to share that truth until death do you part from this life.
© Copyright by Barbara Rose. All Rights Reserved
The above is an excerpt from the book "Individual Power: Reclaiming Your Core, Your Truth, and Your Life." by Barbara Rose, Published by The Rose Group ISBN: 097414570X
Barbara Rose is an Internationally acclaimed public speaker, spiritual author of: "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" "If God Was Like Man"and "Individual Power: Reclaiming Your Core, Your Truth, and Your Life", founder of The Rose Group publishing company, inspire! Magazine, Institute of Higher Self Communication, and Rose Humanitarian Alliance.
She works in Divine Cooperation with others to uplift the spiritual consciousness of humanity. Through a Divine Spiritual gift she brings through information to create the highest vision of your life, and our world. Her internationally praised seminars, widely published articles, Higher Self Certification intensives, and Divinely Channeled private consultations have changed the lives of thousands across the globe.
For enlightening info, contacts, books, articles and resources to help you become your highest self, visit Barbara's website: http://www.borntoinspire.com
How often have you had the experience of connecting with... Read More
There are several things you can do, especially when your... Read More
Setting up personal boundaries is important in all types of... Read More
A social support network is a group of people who... Read More
From my own personal experience of being involved in certain... Read More
Mark Twain once saidGod's great cosmic joke on the human... Read More
"Dear Happy Guy,"I just don't understand men. Last night I... Read More
We don't like to say it and we don't always... Read More
Have you been plagued by the nagging feeling that your... Read More
It has taken me 40 years to learn exactly how... Read More
What drives a woman to cheat may look a lot... Read More
Secrets of the Opposite SexMany jokes, problems, and conversations revolve... Read More
You know the scenario. You start dating a woman. After... Read More
A lot of people have the wrong kind of love... Read More
When asked why their marriage is on the rocks, many... Read More
Liar, Liar! Pants On Fire!Today, you'll learn about 2 yellow-flag... Read More
Many guys are just too intimidated and full of anxiety... Read More
History doesn't belong in a relationship that is presentMy friend,... Read More
Sometimes, after a relationship has ended, many of us have... Read More
Why is it that depending on others to fulfill our... Read More
Conflict in a relationship is both normal and painful. In... Read More
I want to tell you a little story. Not about... Read More
My Dear Lover,Communication is one of the key ingredients for... Read More
SOMETIMES I'LL ask a couple I'm seeing in therapy to... Read More
While not necessarily New Age in nature, Samantha has noticed... Read More
Have you ever been at a loss to think of... Read More
Deep down, we haven't evolved as much as we would... Read More
Parents and loved ones always seem to put a damper... Read More
"When we marry, we don't marry one person, we marry... Read More
Eventually, we'll all either play or be played. I'd like... Read More
She stares at me and then closes her eyes. A... Read More
Dear Candace,My girlfriend and I recently split up. I called... Read More
Questions and AnswersHow can I learn how to be true... Read More
Have you noticed the trend?You ever notice how on programs... Read More
Everything in life, in order to be a success, requires... Read More
Now I really have seen everything.The other day, I saw... Read More
Dear Candace,I have been through a lot over the last... Read More
Emotionally healthy men and women almost always share their lives... Read More
Why is it that even though I am not positive... Read More
Relationships. They're complicated, right? At least that's what we've been... Read More
Very few people would argue with the fact that creating... Read More
Your best friend moves a thousand miles, your aunt retires... Read More
Striking a perfect balance between work and home today can... Read More
Q. I got married for the first time when I... Read More
1. The Perfect Phase is the first three months. If... Read More
In my counseling practice, I often hear the question, "How... Read More
Caution is a word with a fine old-fashioned ring. The... Read More
Glenna Trout is an international authority on face reading whose... Read More
If you grew up in the 80s like I did,... Read More
Discovering an affair in your relationship is indispensable, but that's... Read More
Out of the blue, slap bang in the middle of... Read More
Dear Candace,My girlfriend and I recently split up. I called... Read More
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard... Read More
All too often you fall in love with someone out... Read More
On one very popular web site there were 260 posts... Read More
Men and women can't really be just friends, can they?... Read More
Today I received a question from a guy. Here is... Read More
Stephen Covey in 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families says... Read More
Most think that relationships exist to make them happy. When... Read More
In every relationship there will be occasional misunderstandings and hurt... Read More
In recent years, thousands of young Russian and Ukrainian women... Read More
Open your mouth. What do I mean? Talk ? say... Read More
Many of us stumble into marriage and then continue to... Read More
1. Sticks and stones won't break my bones" ? and... Read More
Do you want be in a relationship that brings you... Read More
Guys, I know the struggle, you want to give her... Read More
Relationship |