Everything was going ok that morning, until the nail polish tipped.
It was almost like slow motion as the car nudged forward and she foresaw the future of her car interior, splattered with the orange-red hues of “Toucan Do it If You Try.” Every attempt to grasp the toppling jar and right the tiny bottle were lost.
In an instant, the cosmic course of the day had been altered.
It was not just the state of their upholstery that was at risk, but the integrity of their relationship. After all, it was HIM who accelerated without notice, CAUSING the open bottle of nail polish to splash its color onto the floor (and the side panel, and the seat, and the dash board…).
In those not-so-silent moments that followed, a lovely Saturday morning between husband and wife turned from peaceful and fun to heated and intense.
She lashed out, he responded in kind.
Within only several spiraling moments, she found herself pushing the door open, dramatically determined to walk the streets of Hoboken with half painted nails, over continuing to ride alongside the husband who was hard set on sabotaging the new interior.
Oh dear. Can I relate!
Why is this story both funny and yet not at all funny?
Because, if you are married, as I am, we all have our spilled nail polish moments that rocket us into a downward marital spiral for the remainder of the day (or week or month or year…).
One of our recent spirals involved the production of this very podcast. My friends have shared explosions over desk space, the online search for new shoes, and the “wrong” onion.
Jessie (in-car-nail-polisher) and Gerard (New-Jersey-streets-driver) have pulled back the curtain on their marriage over at their podcast Marriage is Funny (because it is), and it is hitting the resonant chord of thousands of marriages worldwide.
Why?
Because marriage is both the best, most intimate, life giving relationship on earth AND the most dumbfounding, aggravating, heart-wrecking invention there is.
And we need help. We need mentors and tools.
We need to see success stories and struggle stories and making it through.
Today on Episode 30 of Isogo TV | Live and & Work Your Strengths Video Podcast I share a word picture about marriage that I hate.
Well, I used to hate it, but I am being won over as I see the truth and power in it to alter my perspective and my response—and in turn alter the conversations and connection we have in our marriage.
Today, in What Your Marriage Needs to Get Out of a Downward Spiral, I share about the role and tool the language of StrengthsFinder has played in our marriage over the past several years, and a SPECIFIC use that has been game-changing for us. And it can be for you too.
I’ve seen it in my own marriage and in the broken-beautiful relationships around me, so let’s dive in!
It really is a marriage-altering perspective.
It provides you with a concrete idea of the basic needs of each of the 34 StrengthsFinder Talent Themes as well as the value they each bring. Of all the tools I have, this one is among the most cheered (in both corporate and personal settings!), so that’s why I want to be sure you have it. Download it and make it yours today.
You CAN achieve the thriving happiness your marriage deserves and needs.
And you CAN get out of a downward spiral…or maybe even stop it before it starts! (I’m still working on that piece!).
If you still need to take the very first step of uncovering and deeply understanding each other’s most powerful Talents and Strengths, do it today.
You can do that directly over at GallupStrengthsCenter.com or through a bundle gift I put together that includes not only the StrengthsFinder but also Strengths Startup.
Strengths Startup is a 6 week follow up email series that is crafted uniquely for your Top 5 Strengths.
It provides you unique insights about your Top 5 Strengths and creates the foundation for more thriving success, more energizing moments and less frustration…every day.
You can pull the trigger or check out more over on the Strengths Startup info page, or if you already know your Strengths head over to the mega comprehensive blog post about the 9 Steps to Life Change Through Your Strengths.
I have shared about marriage on a couple other occasions since we started shooting, and they’ve been among the most popular so far, so check them out at the links/images below if you have not caught them already.
LINKS | RESOURCES | a LITTLE ASK
Links & Resources from Today’s Episode
Meet the Peppers | Episode 15
Marriage is Funny Podcast
Meet Jessie & Gerard Pepper
Discover your Top 5 Strengths
Episode 6 | How We Saved Our Marriage
Episode 18 | How Opposites Can Strengthen (or Ruin!) Your Marriage
Bring It | Need It FREE Tool
Strengths Startup
9 Steps to Life-change Through Your Strengths
My little ask?
In the meantime and beyond, I would love to hear from you and help you. So, if you’re thinking about the way a Strengths-perspective could impact your marriage or your family or you’re just not so sure about it all, reach out, and let’s connect about it. You can catch me at Facebook or Twitter, both @isogostrong, or by this handy contact form.
