“… find delight in the little irritating habits or personality tics in the person you love…” – Attitudes of Gratitude in Love 

One of the best kept secrets of making relationships work and last, is to be able to practice M.J. Ryan’s suggestion. Essentially, it’s being smart and creative enough to reinterpret something which, initially is interpreted by us as “bad” behavior by another, into something we are actually grateful for.  Sound hard? You bet! Think it’s impossible? Think again, it’s not. Is that person slow to get ready for engagements, appointments or meetings? Awesome! They’re teaching us to have patience and to be less uptight. Or perhaps we need to set a healthy boundary?  If they are jealous, great! This teaches us integrity by honoring their fear and not putting ourselves into dicey situations with the opposite (or same, if we are gay) sex. If they are physically abusive, fantastic! It means we get to practice detaching and discovering why we’re  attractive to abusive people. There are lessons and opportunities I can learn in all of my relationships, and by changing my perspective, my perception shifts, suddenly I see how I can be grateful—instead of resentful—for what they are doing and ILML!