Let’s talk about honesty in relationships.
When I think about honesty in relationships, I am talking about expressing our emotional truth. When I see this in a counseling session I always feel something, like I am sharing a moment that is very special and pure.
I had the pleasure of helping a couple recently. It’s clear they love each other, but they were both exhausted trying to get love from each other. They were angry and were extremely unhappy too.
Emotional Honesty in Relationships Promotes Empathy
We talked about the issues and what each does to the other. This went on for a while, until one of the partners got into their feelings and showed some tenderness. I noticed the eyes starting to well up with tears and when I asked another question about this softness, I heard the truth of how they felt.
I heard the love and the admiration for the other and this expression revealed an open heart and, yes, sometimes these moments bring out tears too.
Empathy and Emotional Connectedness Feel Good
That’s what I witnessed, and it was beautiful. I felt close to the individual in this moment because what I was experiencing was their truth. I was humbled to be in the presence of something pure. There was no anger. There was no blame. There was emotional honesty.
This is the elixir of love. When we tell our truth to our person, they feel it. They can feel our anger too, but that’s a whole different topic. When we reach into our truth of what we are feeling it cuts through all the layers of protection we surround ourselves with. And when we say our truth to our mate we lead them to their truth. And that can be relationship bliss.
Honesty in Relationships Means Putting Yourself Out There, But It’s Worth It
I know it’s hard to show the tender side, even to someone who knows us well. But trust in a relationship is not just about being faithful, it also includes trusting that the person who signs up to love us will accept us and honor us regardless of what we present.
And if you and your partner can do this for each other… Well, you’ve just struck relationship gold.
Pursue Emotional Honesty in YOUR Relationship
Read a Book About Promoting Honesty in Relationships
Can’t make it on Monday? Learn more about how to promoting honesty in your relationship, by reading Linda’s book, Safe. Happy. Loved. Simple Skills for Your Relationship. It just might help you and your partner feel loved and connected by keeping your communication channels open and clear. Give it a read.
Get Couples Counseling
Come in for couples counseling. Couples counseling can help you and your loved one get the most out of your relationship. It'll equip you with coping strategies and tools for communication that can help you argue less and love more.