Recently, President Obama delivered the State of the Union address to Congress.
Whatever your opinion about his speech or the nation's status, you still got up the next day and went to work and lived your life.
You don't have a lot of control over what is happening in Washington, other than to vote when you can.
However, there is one union you can address with a lot of personal power.
If you had to give a speech addressing the state of your union, your marriage, your relationship to your significant other, what would you say? What is the state of your union? Does it need some repair? Are you and your partner living in a state of trust, respect and kindness or is there room for improvement in the way you relate to each other? Here's a quick quiz to provide some insight into the state of your union: HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP QUIZ 1.
My partner and I can talk about our problems without yelling.
Y or N 2.
We are good at working together to solve problems.
Y or N 3.
We listen with respect, even when we have differing opinions.
Y or N 4.
We care more about the relationship that winning an argument.
Y or N 5.
My partner and I never call each other hurtful names.
Y or N 6.
We find our personality differences amusing instead of annoying.
Y or N 7.
We look forward to spending time together.
Y or N 8.
We respect each other's boundaries and avoid controlling behavior.
Y or N 9.
We have a regular date night that is maintained as a priority.
Y or N 10.
My partner and I know each other's primary wants and needs.
Y or N 11.
We treat each other's needs as being as important as our own.
Y or N 12.
We touch each other every day - holding hands, kissing, cuddling.
Y or N 13.
We regularly nurture our relationship with praise and compliments.
Y or N 14.
My partner and I manage household chores and duties with fairness.
Y or N 15.
We routinely look for ways to be thoughtful and kind to each other.
Y or N So, how did you do? If you can say yes to 12 or more of these statements, your relationship is strong and healthy.
The state of your union is strong.
If you answered yes at least 9 times, the state of your union is positive, but could use some fine-tuning.
If you answered yes at least 6 times, the state of your union is showing signs of trouble and needs attention.
If you answered yes to less than 6, the state of your union is damaged, troubled, and in need of help.
Whatever the state of your union is right now, it can be better...
but that only happens when you address it.