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Couples, Relationships 725 Comments on Conflict in Relationships and Marriage – Taking Responsibility

Conflict in Relationships and Marriage – Taking Responsibility

By Nicole Serafin · On March 19, 2015

My husband and I had very different upbringings with two very different sets of ideals and beliefs about how a relationship and marriage ‘should’ look – which often led to conflict.

For example, we had different ideas about how:

  • a woman ‘should’ be as a wife
  • a woman ‘should’ be as a mother
  • a husband ‘should’ be as a partner, and
  • a man ‘should’ be the provider.

We were both unhappy, blaming the other for the way things were. Neither of us wanted to take responsibility for the way our relationship was. We both wanted things to change, but expected the other to make the changes we wanted to see.

The unresolved feelings of hurt, rejection and a lack of trust we brought to this relationship always left us wanting the other to prove their love first so we could feel secure and safe.

Once we realised that this approach did not bring us closer to each other, we started to look for another way; we truly wanted a love-filled relationship and we were not going to give up on having that.

Starting to take Responsibility – Listening without Reacting

As both of us started to take responsibility for what we were creating, slowly we were able to stop blaming each other for the way things were, and start looking at our own part in what was happening. We began talking honestly and openly with each other about the hurts that certain situations brought up for us and what we were feeling and why.

Another huge thing we learned was to just listen to each other without reacting or taking things personally; this was definitely a game changer.

This ability to just listen and not take things personally or react to everything that is said allowed us to unravel the false ideals and beliefs step by step; we started taking responsibility for our own feelings and what we were each bringing into the relationship.

A Deep Commitment and Re-connection to Self

At the same time we both worked on a commitment to self first, recognising our own ideals and beliefs around how a relationship should look, and becoming more aware of how these affected the other. By choosing a deeper connection to self first, and then simply making our relationship about love, and nothing but love, our connection to our selves and each other grew deeper and stronger naturally.

A relationship of love has no room for ideals and beliefs. Imagine that – if there were no ideals and beliefs, then there would be no room for blame or conflict.

The way we live and the way our relationships are simply comes down to the choices we make, and our ability and willingness to take responsibility for our part in everything that happens.

I have seen for myself that relationships work best when they are a union of two people, a union that needs to continually be developed and worked on. It is not an ‘agreement’ that you enter into; it is a commitment to love and it is that love that creates the foundation for all relationships.

A true commitment is:

  • based on love, where all are equal, and no one is left feeling lesser
  • embracing everything in and with unity, without separation, judgement or control
  • about committing to oneself first, and from there committing to all others, equally so.

In a committed relationship we are constantly open to sharing and expressing what is felt and what is needed.

Conflict in relationships and marriage is not something that just happens: I learned that individually, and as a couple, we need to be always taking responsibility and building a deeper level of love. It is a deepening that never stops; it has no end.

The presentations by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are where the tools to work on and build our relationship to be one of love are offered to us. It is with these tools that we have now created a true relationship, based on love. And it is that love that allows us to take responsibility for any conflict in our marriage and supports us to be able to discuss anything and everything that comes up, without going into a reaction or taking it personally.

by Nicole Serafin, 41 years, Tintenbar, NSW, Australia

Further Reading:

Building True Relationships

Appreciation in Relationships

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Nicole Serafin

Living in Tintenbar with my amazing husband and three beautiful children. Life is simple, uncomplicated and full of magical moments everywhere I look. Birds chirping, kookaburras singing and kids playing outside chasing each other around and around, making me dizzy at times but still glorious to watch. Not a moment goes by where I do not stop to appreciate all that I am, who we are as individuals and how we are together as a family, truly glorious in every way.

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725 Comments

  • Mary says: January 15, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    I would say that most of us carry around unresolved hurts and feeling of being rejected that we then take into a relationship. We then expect the other person to prove their love to us first before we will even make a step towards them. So is it any wonder the divorce rates are so high along with domestic violence from both sides because of these unresolved hurts and feeling of rejection that we are unable to express and rot us away from the inside out.

    Reply
  • Michelle McWaters says: August 7, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    ‘slowly we were able to stop blaming each other for the way things were, and start looking at our own part in what was happening.’ This is the only path to a harmonius relationship. We cannot change another, but we are in control of our own focuses, hurts etc. Learning to let go of pictures and appreciating what is before us in the moment with another and getting ourselves out of the way, allows for a beautiful deepening of loving expansion and expression.

    Reply
  • Helen Elliott says: March 27, 2019 at 7:30 am

    When we make love the foundation of any relationship it is a total game changer and ideals and beliefs are exposed for the imposters they are.

    Reply
  • LE says: March 21, 2019 at 7:20 am

    All our ideas we have about how we and another should be just sets us up to fail.

    Reply
  • Amparo Lorente Cháfer says: March 20, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    When we are in reaction we are positioned against the other and completely individualised, from our hurts and ideals. Working on them instead of blaming others is the beginning of our healing and opening to love.

    Reply
  • Rebecca says: February 11, 2019 at 6:55 am

    Gorgeous Nicole, thanks for sharing; ‘And it is that love that allows us to take responsibility for any conflict in our marriage and supports us to be able to discuss anything and everything that comes up, without going into a reaction or taking it personally.’ It feels super helpful not going into reaction and taking things personally, I can feel that this would allow an openness and an understanding and mean that each person could truly listen and understand what is being shared by the other.

    Reply
    • Helen Elliott says: March 27, 2019 at 7:31 am

      Not reacting to the other person in a relationship gives both the space to work through any issues without getting caught in the blame game.

      Reply
  • Rebecca says: February 11, 2019 at 6:50 am

    This is really helpful to read; ‘Another huge thing we learned was to just listen to each other without reacting or taking things personally; this was definitely a game changer.’ Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  • Mary Adler says: January 20, 2019 at 4:10 pm

    Strong and loving relationships don’t just happen, they call for constant communication and deepening connection to yourself and another.

    Reply
    • Michelle Mcwaters says: August 7, 2019 at 10:39 pm

      Yes Mary. So often when in a long term relationship, we can slip into the comfort of it without bothering to deepen that connection. When things start to go wrong or stale we like to blame the other. So important that we stop to consider what we are bringing to the other by what we are bringing to ourselves first and allowing appreciation to be the foundation of this communication and connection.

      Reply
  • Lorraine says: November 4, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    What you describe here is so common in relationships, great to hear that there is a way to move forward and heal the relationship, ‘The unresolved feelings of hurt, rejection and a lack of trust we brought to this relationship always left us wanting the other to prove their love first so we could feel secure and safe’.

    Reply
  • Ingrid Ward says: November 3, 2018 at 5:26 pm

    I have come to see that one of the biggest causes of relationship issues is that the parties don’t listen to each other. I mean truly listen, giving their full attention until the other has spoken and shared all that needs to be said and not interrupting in any way. But this doesn’t happen as most people just want to get their words out, and don’t even focus on what is being shared, champing at the bit to speak. How amazing it would be if we were taught how to listen as children and to respect what the other person has to say; this is what taking responsibility is all about.

    Reply
  • Willem Plandsoen says: October 16, 2018 at 2:10 pm

    To take full responsibility on our side in a relationship is the key, and not blame the other is the key in growing love in relationships. And not accepting anything that is less than love.

    Reply
  • Elaine Arthey says: September 12, 2018 at 4:27 pm

    AS we let go of the ideals and beliefs…some taking a while to dislodge, we allow love more space in our bodies and we feel the power and authority of that love.

    Reply
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