101 things I wish I knew before I got married**UPDATED W/CHAPTERS***
Original post by Espo22
Has anyone read this book? I just bought it yesterday and started reading it last night and this morning on the train. It is a great read and definitely makes you look at some things differently.
Its not like 101 specific detailed things you do. Not like 'say i love you before you go to bed' (i just made that up) but it really goes alot deeper than that. It also helps for you to find your own true happiness which they say you need in order to have a loving relationship. It is a couple that wrote the book together and they come right out and say how they had alot of hard times and came close to divorce but that people just need to realize that no relationship is perfect, every relationship will have its downfalls and we go through seasons and you will hit some hard winters. But also its the hard times and the fight to work through things that can make your relationship stronger and you learn more about eachother. The couple are both therapists and also do marriage counseling so they use alot of examples
Each chapter is topics we mostly all deal with. They either speak about their own experience and what they went through and how they worked it out or they give an example of another couple and either speak of how they worked it out, or even didn't work it out and what prevented them from working it out.
The couple even say they don't want to tell you what to do but just how to look at things differently. I personally love the advice they give and agree with it.
Definitely recommend this book
******UPDATE********
here are some of the chapter titles, theres 101 obviously lol...i wont list all but ill list ALOT lol, just to give you an idea about the book
-great relationships don't just happen; they are created
-vulnerability is disarming
-one of the greatest gifts you can give your partner is your own happiness
-It's possible to hate and love someone at the same time
-when you complain about your partner to your friends, remember that their feedback is based upon distorted information
-the only rules in a marriage are those to which you both choose to agree
-commitment isn't a prison; its a means to graeter freedom
-it isn't conflict that destroys marriages; its the cold, smoldering resentment that is bred by withholding
-it's not what you got, it's what you do with it
-even good marriages have recurring seasons, and there can be some hard winters
-growing up in a happy family doesn't ensure a good marriage, and growing up in an unhappy family doesn't preclude having one
-it's never too late to repair damaged trust
-If you can't be happy without your partner, you won't be happy together
-the prince isn't going to come
-one person, no matter how much they love you, cannot meet all of your emotional needs
-the real issue is usually not the one you're arguing about
-love isn't just a feeling; it's an action that shows our caring
-even people with great marriages sometimes wonder whether they have married the wrong person
-your partner cannot rescue you from unhappiness, but they can help you to rescue yourself
-guilt-tripping won't get you what you really want
-give what you want to receive
-dont neglect your friends just because you've acquired a spouse
-resisting the temptation to prove your point will win you a lot of points
-what you judge in your partner is a reflection of what you judge in yourself
-your partner is your teacher and your student
-if your partner is being defensive, you may be giving them reason to be
-trust can be rebuilt, even after a painful betrayal, but it may require hard work
-marriage does require sacrifice, but what you stand to gain is infinitely greater than what you give up
-being attracted to someone else doesn't diminish the quality of your marrige; acting on that attraction does
-possessiveness and jealousy are born out of fear, not love
-don't say anything about your partner that you're not willing to say to them
-your greatest weakness can become your greatest strength
-if your partner thinks something is important, it is!
-the sparkle of a new relationship is always temporary
-it's better to focus on what you can do to make things right than on what your partner did to make things wrong
-when two hearts are connect, the biggest problems become workable; when they are not, the smallest difficulties seem insurmountable
-constructive criticism generally isn't
-assumptions are fine, as long as you check them out before acting on them
melendez17
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Re: 101 things I wish I knew before I got married
Thanx... I think i just might go buy this today. Sounds very interesting and I need a new book to read since i already finished my summer book. Thanks again!
Espo22
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no problem ladies
i also got bergdorf blondes since i heard alot of good things about it and prozac nation so im curious to get to those too
nmagel
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sounds good.
TheFutureMrsM
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Posted by Espo22
no problem ladies
i also got bergdorf blondes since i heard alot of good things about it and prozac nation so im curious to get to those too
OMG i loved bergdorf blondes, i read that about 3 years ago....soooo good!!!!!
Espo22
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Posted by TheFutureMrsM
Posted by Espo22
no problem ladies
i also got bergdorf blondes since i heard alot of good things about it and prozac nation so im curious to get to those too
OMG i loved bergdorf blondes, i read that about 3 years ago....soooo good!!!!!
glad to hear, ill probably start that one next since FH is gonna read prozac nation and i'll wait until he is done with it
lilangel369
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thanks for the recommendation ... i love that other book by the way (the feeding and caring of husbands )
Espo22
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Posted by lilangel369
thanks for the recommendation ... i love that other book by the way (the feeding and caring of husbands )
I didn't read that one...i saw it at the store though and they also had the proper feeding and caring of a marriage.
Not sure but think this book is a little different from what i hear
lilangel369
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Re: 101 things I wish I knew before I got married
Posted by Espo22
Posted by lilangel369
thanks for the recommendation ... i love that other book by the way (the feeding and caring of husbands )
I didn't read that one...i saw it at the store though and they also had the proper feeding and caring of a marriage.
Not sure but think this book is a little different from what i hear
you said this is from both povs? cause my fh always says these books are written from random females and aren't always correct (tho he agreed with the feed and care book )
Espo22
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Posted by lilangel369
Posted by Espo22
Posted by lilangel369
thanks for the recommendation ... i love that other book by the way (the feeding and caring of husbands )
I didn't read that one...i saw it at the store though and they also had the proper feeding and caring of a marriage.
Not sure but think this book is a little different from what i hear
you said this is from both povs? cause my fh always says these books are written from random females and aren't always correct (tho he agreed with the feed and care book )
yeah its written by a man and woman. The husbands name is Charlie and the wife is Linda, so before a paragraph starts it either says Charlie: or Linda: before it so we can know who wrote it
ChristineAaron08
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It sounds interesting. I cant wait to her your summary.
shoegal68
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Thanks for the recommendation!
a very good friend of mine is going through a bitter divorce.. after 13 yrs & 2 kids. he cheated on her..
i was kind of shocked from the outside it seamed like the perfect marriage.. the house, the kids, he seemed like the dotting husband.
i think i was more upset of this than her..
so i really am determinded NOT to become a statistic and make my marriage work !!
thanks again
mendi725
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just ordered it, thanks!
musicgrl79
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oh thanks, i need something to read
Espo22
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ok so i come home to get some clothes for work tomorrow and have to go back to Fh's, i get my bag so i can post some of the chapter titles in here and meanwhile I realize that I left the book at Fh's. I'll do this later.
It's not just about how make a relationship work but it also helps ALOT with our own issues of trust, our past, how we view our own life, how we can make ourself happy, and so many personal issues.
Espo22
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here is a review i found:
101 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married Simple Lessons to Make Love Last Linda and Charlie Bloom New World Library 02/04 Paperback $14.95 ISBN: 1577314247
Linda and Charlie Bloom have been married for 31 years. They are psychotherapists and have more than 55 years of combined experience in relationship counseling. In 1987, this couple founded the Empowerment Network, an organization offering seminars to individuals and couples on improving relationships. They currently offer 50 different workshops.
This paperback is filled with many wise words on sustaining love in marriage. Given that the current divorce rate is 60 percent, couples need all the help they can get to stay together through all the differences, conflicts, and obstacles to marital love. The catchy title describes the content of the book: lessons followed by commentary by Linda and Charlie Bloom or illustrative material from other couples' experiences.
'When two hearts are connected, the biggest problems become workable; when they are not, the smallest difficulties seem insurmountable.' This is so true, and the unity that husband and wife feel can work through disappointments and differences. 'One of the greatest questions you can ask your partner is 'How may I best love you?' ' Keeping the channels of communication open is crucial to the ability to ask good questions and to share feelings. 'One person, no matter how much they love you, cannot meet all of your emotional needs.' This is one that all couples should be aware of early in their romantic relationship. Too many individuals depend on their partner to make them happy. This burden is impossible to carry because, in the end, we are all responsible for our own happiness.
Closely linked to that statement is this one: 'One of the greatest gifts you can give your partner is your own happiness.' Try to practice this one every day, and it will go a long way toward strengthening and deepening your relationship. 'Your partner is your teacher and your student' is a one to keep in mind each week as you work through the pressures of modern-day living. And finally, here's a really good one: 'There is no greater eloquence than the silence of real listening.' The Blooms are fine guides to making love last in marraige
AS
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I dont read books but I would love the know the 101 things I wish I knew before I got married. I have to get it now, do you know of any other good wedding books???
Espo22
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Posted by MPAS
I dont read books but I would love the know the 101 things I wish I knew before I got married. I have to get it now, do you know of any other good wedding books???
no but i saw one when looking for a review that was '1001 questions to ask me before we get married' hmmm might have to look up reviews for that one lol
shoegal68
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i totally agree with this statement: 'There is no greater eloquence than the silence of real listening.'
do you know how many times my FH asks me the same questions over & over
sometimes i really have to bite my tongue
i can't wait to read it.. then i'm giving to my FH !!!
Mrs. V 2008
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wow sounds interesting! i'll have to check it out!
Autumn08
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Thanks! The last book that was recommended I found it so helpful and I've had a great week since I bought it! So I'm definately going to pick this one up!