Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex

by Michael Todd

Progression, not perfection

Just like my parents, there are right people for your unique purpose. The right friends. The right partners. The right teammates. And the right spouse. Before you find that right person, you have to find your purpose. The right person is on the other side of the right purpose.

The truth of the matter is that you are worth discovering. Nobody can do it for you, and nobody will make you do it, but everybody benefits from it.

There’s no way you can figure out how to love somebody else well in a relationship if you have not first figured out how to love yourself in singleness.

Therapists talk about the building blocks of a good marriage: communication, intimacy, honesty, and trust. All these are essential to a strong, healthy relationship, but building blocks must be stacked on a strong foundation.

He said, “Michael, some of the problems you face are a result of the people you embrace.” I knew what He meant.

When you don’t speak your expectation from the beginning, you are setting up yourself and your spouse to fail. Maybe you feel like your husband or wife already knows what you want—but really, your spouse might not. Then, if you don’t voice what you want, it robs the person of the opportunity to actually meet your expectation or your need.

That’s a petty example. But with unspoken expectations, it can get big and serious quickly.