Creating Goodwill in Your Relationships
Being in a longstanding relationship during COVID is like being a plant in a hothouse: it can grow bigger faster, but if you don’t tend to it, it’ll die!
The secret to strengthening your relationship during this time is to create goodwill under stress, skills that can also be used to strengthen friendships and rapport among colleagues too.
In this video, psychiatrist Phil Stutz talks with Tools coach Jamie Rose about how to create goodwill:
Nurture the third entity in your relationship. The first two entities are you and your partner, and the third is the relationship itself. This higher bond is characterized by goodwill.
Focus on what you can give rather than on what you can get, without expecting reciprocity. Doing so, even to a small degree, will make a huge difference. When both partners give in this way, the bond becomes more constructive, loving, and adaptable.
Go a little bit outside of what you are familiar with. For example, if one parent works a full-time job while the other takes care of the children, then the working parent could lend a helping hand in the evening.
Remember that though it will be difficult during this time, the opportunity for growth is much greater because you are lifting a heavier weight.
If you use this time to establish a sense of goodwill toward each other, it will carry you beyond the pandemic and through the rest of your life. What if your partner doesn’t share your interest in developing goodwill? Phil covers that in the video too.
