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Posted on Jan 6, 2012

The benefits of admiring your spouse – publicly

Today, I interviewed a couple that has been married 22 years, each running their own business. They shared some wonderful stories and provided some terrific advice for other couples. We recorded this on video and my intent is to share highlights from this interview with you – starting next week.

During the interview, I asked them to describe each of their businesses. He owns a marketing communications company and she is a portrait artist.

As she described her work as an artist, it was remarkable to watch how he jumped in to describe – with much joy and pride – the amazing work his wife does, how she really captures the true essence of her subject, and how her clients marvel over their final painting.

This was a man who clearly admired his wife.

Admiration is a prized and powerful value.

Consider the energy and strength added to a marriage – and the business – when one spouse publicly admires the other. Witness how others quietly listen and wait – often in awe – until the spouse is finished. You might even see a hint of longing in the eyes of others, wishing someone would say such nice things about them.

Why does this seem to be such a rare phenomenon?

We hear people all the time openly sharing their admiration for celebrities, sports figures, and even for average citizens who publicly do kind deeds. And these are strangers!

Yes, we might openly and proudly share our admiration for our children – or grandchildren – our parents, and maybe other relatives. As business owners, we might even openly admire key employees or even valued suppliers.

So why wouldn’t we publicly share our admiration for our spouse?

Before you were married, there were likely some pretty good reasons that caused you to want to be together. In addition to love, I suspect there was a healthy dose of respect and appreciation for each other – two equally great forms of admiration. Don’t lose these. Nourish them.

When you openly and honestly admire your spouse you inject energy, inspiration, and hope into everyone around you. This benefits the immediate family – what a great example for kids to see.

In a business, it builds confidence and trust for employees. In your community, it builds a sense of stability.

And it builds a strong marriage.

 

In addition to stating it publicly, what are some other ways a spouse can show their admiration?

 

4 Comments

  1. I really enjoyed this. The couple is clearly in tune with love for themselves and each other. I think I’ll have a lot to learn from this site.

    • Thanks Keneesha!

  2. A great week of thoughts! Starting out 2012 in the right way.

    We’ve been married 36 years. It took me unfortunately about 2 decades to discover this value. She deserves it!

    I try to give my wife her hot tea every morning when she gets out of bed at 5am. Not the most romantic thing to do but she knows I care for her.

    • Ralph, I salute you! Thanks for sharing.