Billy Joel earned a Grammy for best song of the year when he wrote “Just the Way You Are” in 1977. In the lyrics he proclaims his undying love and begs his lover to never change. He wrote the song for his first wife, Elizabeth Weber. The relationship ended up in divorce. Hmmm, love without change doesn’t seem to be true love.
It has been said that God loves you just the way you are, AND that God loves you too much to let you stay that way. This is much closer to the reality of true love than the Billy Joel version. Loving a person the way he is AND expecting ongoing change in the relationship are not contradictions. Wise and caring couples do both. But how?
When couples develop a mutual agreement to share all of their thoughts, reflections, hopes, dreams, disappointments, and everything else in the context of deep respect and care, they both feel loved and honored in the moment and challenged in a hopeful way to keep growing. These couples have much satisfaction with their relationships while sustaining a peaceful excitement about the wonders they still have yet to discover. It’s like saying, “I love this relationship and I can’t wait for what’s next!”
Is this what you want more of in your relationship? I’d love to talk to you about that. Explore our coaching options for information about how you can get more of this built into your love relationship.
It has been said that God loves you just the way you are, AND that God loves you too much to let you stay that way. This is much closer to the reality of true love than the Billy Joel version. Loving a person the way he is AND expecting ongoing change in the relationship are not contradictions. Wise and caring couples do both. But how?
When couples develop a mutual agreement to share all of their thoughts, reflections, hopes, dreams, disappointments, and everything else in the context of deep respect and care, they both feel loved and honored in the moment and challenged in a hopeful way to keep growing. These couples have much satisfaction with their relationships while sustaining a peaceful excitement about the wonders they still have yet to discover. It’s like saying, “I love this relationship and I can’t wait for what’s next!”
Is this what you want more of in your relationship? I’d love to talk to you about that. Explore our coaching options for information about how you can get more of this built into your love relationship.