Our 19^th wedding anniversary was this week, so  I thought I'd share a few things Steve and I have learned about “Loving in The Positive Zone”:

++There are NO perfect relationships! 
You know that couple that always looks so happy?

Trust me, they're not ALWAYS smiling! 
Even Angelina and Brad have their snarky moments.
EVERY relationship has its ups and downs and every married person has Googled “how to create a new identity” at least once. 
So quit worrying that everyone is happier than you are and realize that “compromise” is the magic word.

++ Don’t be a Negative Nagger and begin every sentence with, “You never…” or “You always….”    And if you want something done, get up and do it yourself!

++Don’t put your relationship on “automatic pilot”

 It’s been said the average husband thinks,
“Why do you have to chase the bus once you’ve caught it?” 
And the average wife thinks, “Once you’ve caught the fish, you can throw away the bait.”

As Zsa Zsa Gabor famously remarked,
“Husbands are like fires.  They go out if left unattended.”

Okay.  So we’re mixing our metaphors here, but the point is,
DON’T take each other for granted!  
Take your relationship off cruise control and make the effort to look and express appreciation and admiration for each other EVERY single day and not just on special occasions.

++Don’t compete with each other and worry all the time about who’s RIGHT.  Who cares!?   An “I-told-you-so” attitude will suck the joy out of any relationship.

++ Accept your partner exactly as they are

“A woman marries a man hoping he will change and he doesn’t.  A man marries a woman hoping she won’t change and she does.” Joey Bishop

Boy, isn’t that true?!

For years I’d catch myself saying to Steve, “Why don’t you…” or, “I wish you would…”  
Now I’ve learned to accept the fact that he loves sports (almost) as much as he loves me and that isn’t going to change!

 After  I spoke last month to the  FDIC in Washington DC, Roenna Bland wrote:  

"Susan, you were a hit!  In fact, everyone's still talking about you and want you to return again.  We loved how you used humor to present important ideas..."

I'm still scheduling Staff Development programs for this fall.  Please Click here to check on my availability and fees.   

 You MUST get a very cool new internet tool which allows you to send yourself (or anyone on your contact list) e-mail reminders by phone! It’s a real sanity-saver and I use it several times a day. 

Click this link (which goes to my website Resources page) to sign up for the FREE Jott download.

All women (and perhaps a few men) will get a kick out of this hysterically funny customer service letter to Proctor & Gamble. Click here for the link  (also on my Resources page.)