Has your partner ever wanted something in the relationship that you became frustrated by? Have you ever wondered what meaning that request held for your partner? Have you ever asked?

Often times, you may struggle to share your wants and needs with your partner for a variety of reasons.

Because we are conditioned not to ask for what we need in effective ways, it is not uncommon that many couples never communicate these or they come out in the heat of an argument… usually as criticism.

Criticisms are often considered wishes. “You never take my side!” – a criticism, can be communicated or understood as “I wish you would respect my opinion.” – a wish.

If you can learn to better identify and express your needs as wishes rather than criticisms, your needs are more likely to be understood, validated, and met.

Your task for today is to think about what you consider to be three core needs in a relationship. Practice framing those needs in the form of a wish and share them with your partner.