Relationship Counselor Ken Donaldson: Is Divorce Contagious?

Posted:  August 26, 2010

My friends at Fox News 13 Good Day Tampa Bay wanted to know my thoughts about this.

What do you think?

Leave a comment below.

Today is THE day: Marry YourSelf First!

Ken Donaldson, Marry YourSelf First and Your Ultimate Life

Posted:  August 2, 2010

marry yourself first book coverWant more passion, power, purpose and prosperity in your life? Here’s the official Ken Donaldson Marry YourSelf First!® 20 Core Success Principles to Create Your Ultimate Life, Relationships and Career!

#1 Allow your life purpose to be the flashlight to keep you on the pathway of your life.

#2 Create your vision and you’ll have the magnet that will pull you into your ultimate and utmost future.

#3 Allow your values and priorities to be the guides on your path that will keep you going in the direction of your purpose and your vision.

#4 Create and live your legacy today.

#5 Live by the Law of Attraction and put your focus, energy, emotions AND action toward what you truly desire in this lifetime.

#6 Give unconditionally and anonymously.

#7 Practice the daily rituals that evoke your unique spirituality and invite your True Essence and your Highest Self to shine.

#8 Know and live by your deal-makers and deal-breakers.

#9 Discern between accepting and settling. Accept what you cannot change, but never settle for anything below your standards.

#10 Live by your integrity, and allow yourself to be true to you first and foremost.

#11 Know, practice and learn from your boundaries (proactive and reactive, inner and outer), and by doing so you allow yourself to be in your power, in the present moment and in the highest degree of balance possible.

#12 Find and use the support networks that encourage your passion, power, purpose and prosperity, and invite your whole self to shine.

#13 Learn the communication strategies and tactics that will further empower you, reinforce your boundaries and fulfill all your needs.

#14 Understand and live in accordance with the relationship developmental process. In doing so you’ll have the closest relationships only with those who truly support, accept and encourage you.

#15 Always be willing to step out of your comfort zone to promote growth, change and unlimited possibility into your life.

#16 Commit to finalize all your unfinished business from the past and in doing so allow yourself to be present in the present.

#17 Separate “who you are” – your being – from “what you do” your doing – and choose to live more from your being state.

#18 Learn to go with the flow in life. Navigate through and around the challenging times and be focused on the journey, not the destination.

#19 Practice frequent silliness, deliberate breathing and conscious walking, all to give yourself the proactive medicine of health and well-being.

#20 Recognize, accept and embrace the perfect imperfection of you.

Any questions ( leave them below, as well as any comments you might have)?

Now…go live your life to the fullest…more passion…more power…more purpose…and more prosperity!

It’s time for YOU to get with the Marry YourSelf First! movement

What Are Couples Doing Less In The Bedroom?

Posted:  July 28, 2010

Intrigued?

The answer may NOT be what you were thinking!

Did you know that couples sleeping separately has become a new trend?

My friends at Fox 13 Good Day Tampa Bay asked me what my thoughts were about this trend and the impact on relationship harmony.

Watch and listen, and then leave your comments below!

Is the marital bed headed toward extinction?

New studies show that one in four American couples are saying good-night and then going their separate ways into separate beds. The National Association of Home Builders expects 60 percent of custom-built homes will be designed to have two master bedrooms by 2015!

So…why couples are sleeping apart? What are your thoguhts?

And Marry YourSelf First!

Relationship Counselor Ken Donaldson and Your Toughest Relationship Issues

Posted:  July 26, 2010

Relationship issuesGot a question you’d like to ask me live?

You’ll have your chance this Wednesday (7/28) as I’ll be the guest on “The Ask Vera Show”

The Ask Vera Show is every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. It’s a 30 minute free show focused on answering the toughest questions on relationship issues.

Vera will be grilling me with her most challenging relationship questions and you’re invited to do the same!

Come join us and tell your friends.

Call in number: 1 808 206-9730

Conference ID: 208018#

I hope to “see” you and your friends then and there!

Click here for all the details

Marry YourSelf First!

Marital Affair, Marriage Infidelity and Betrayal: How to Rebuild Trust in Your Marriage or Relationship

Posted:  July 23, 2010

marital affair, marriage infidelity, betrayal, rebuild trustHow do I rebuild trust after betrayal?

Can I recover from a marital affair?

How do I deal with marriage infidelity? 

What do I do after infidelity?

Can I recover from betrayal and trust again?

Unfortunately, these questions are quite frequently asked by many people. Betrayal, infidelity and affairs are rampant today.

But here is the real question: What are the keys to happy, healthy and harmonious relationships?

Answer this question, and live it fully every day in every way, and you’ll proactively prevent, or at least dramatically reduce the likelihood of having to deal with the marital affair, marriage infidelity, betrayal or broken trust in your relationship.

However, people who find themselves in these unfortunate situations want to know what they should do.

Answer: ???????

Not such a good answer, right?

There is NO clear cut answer because there are so many variables involved.

So let’s look at some possibilities at rebuilding trust in the relationship.

The rebuilding process is often dependent upon how much baggage has been brought into the relationship. Additionally, it is also very dependent on how open the two people are.

If there is a lot of baggage, which means “a significant amount of pre-relationship emotional issues,” then one or both people may have to do a lot of individual processing, as well as working on the relationship.

If one or both of the people are not willing to open up and be truthful and honest, this will slow down or perhaps even sabotage the entire process.

One other variable is around how much trust has been broken. Is there a long history or is this the first and only time?

Here’s something to consider: The affair is not really THE problem. It’s really a symptom of the problem. Relationships that are strong in their foundation do have affairs.

The affair is an escape or an attempted way to cope. This, of course, does NOT diminish the fact that it’s still an affair…still a betrayal…and still broken trust.

Usually affairs come from needs not being met in the relationship. In some cases, it can go back even farther to serious unresolved trauma from childhood or earlier on in life.

The bottom-line, however, is to get to the core of the motivation for the affair and then resolve that.

Believe it or not, the recovery from an affair can actually help the relationship become even stronger than before. Just like a broken bone: If healed properly, it becomes stronger than it was previously…really!

If the couple is truly committed to going through a healing process, they can make the relationship even stronger and better than it was before. Affairs simply mean that there are significant dysfunctional dynamics in the relationship.

In other words, there was something going on before the infidelity occurred.

So the biggest elements that are required for lasting healing to occur are openness, honesty and patience. The healing process takes time. Sometimes a LOT of time!

And find a really good relationship counselor who can help guide you through the healing process. Affairs are very difficult, if not impossible, for couples to heal successfully by themselves.

Affairs and infidelities are eye openers. Now that your eyes are open, leave them open. Notice what’s really going on in the relationship. Notice the unmet needs, the unresolved issues and the unspoken words.

These “un” patterns are the patterns and behaviors that MUST end, or else the relationship will either fail or forever be embittered.

On the other end of the spectrum lies this question: Is this a Deal-Breaker? And can I repair it even though I consider it to be a deal- breaker?

The literal answer would be “no” since deal-breakers are just that: They break the deal!

True deal-breakers are absolutes and non-negotiable. That’s not to say that this makes a decision of this magnitude easy. Deal-breakers mean “I am not going to tolerate or allow anything that goes beyond this line.”

You have to decide what your lines are and if you’re willing to change them.

Beware of guilt or fear being the underlying motivation to stay in spite of the deal-breakers. These motivators will most likely come back to haunt you again and again.

Whatever your motivation is, it’s highly recommended that you use a huge amount of caution if you decide to change your deal-breakers and allow yourself to continue in the relationship.

Again, getting a good, experienced relationship counselor involved is paramount.

How do you rebuild trust after betrayal?

Can you recover from a marital affair?

How do you deal with marriage infidelity? 

What do you do after infidelity?

Can you recover from betrayal and trust again?

Yes…no…maybe.

But whatever you choose, do it much differently than you did in the past and with professional guidance.

Please leave your comments below…

Marry YourSelf First Every Day!