My Advice To Married Couples After Divorcing My Wife Of 16 Years

sweetvi

Well-Known Member
Sounds like he is still hurting....


This is touching...

Read below:


http://afterjujuman.wordpress.com/2...vorcing-my-wife-of-16-years-by-gerald-rogers/

Obviously , I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about my divorce being finalized this week that gives me perspective of things I wish I would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had

1. Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love.

2. Protect your own heart. Just as you committed to being the protector of her heart, you must guard your own with the same vigilance. Love yourself fully, love the world openly, but there is a special place in your heart where no one must enter except for your wife. Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone or anything else enter there.

3. Fall in love over and over again. You will constantly change. You’re not the same people you were when you got married, and in five years you will not be the same person you are today. Change will come, and in that you have to re-choose each other everyday. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY WITH YOU, and if you don’t take care of her heart, she may give that heart to someone else or seal you out completely, and you may never be able to get it back. Always fight to win her love just as you did when you were courting her.

4. Always see the best in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.

5. It’s not your job to change or fix her… your job is to love her as she is with no expectation of her ever changing. And if she changes, love what she becomes, whether it’s what you wanted or not.

6. Take full accountability for your own emotions: It’s not your wife’s job to make you happy, and she CAN’T make you sad. You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love.

7. Never blame your wife if you get frustrated or angry at her, it is only because it is triggering something inside of YOU. They are YOUR emotions, and your responsibility. When you feel those feelings take time to get present and to look within and understand what it is inside of YOU that is asking to be healed. You were attracted to this woman because she was the person best suited to trigger all of your childhood wounds in the most painful way so that you could heal them… when you heal yourself, you will no longer be triggered by her, and you will wonder why you ever were.

8. Allow your woman to just be. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… DON’T RUN-AWAY WHEN SHE’S UPSET. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion.

9. Be silly… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.

10. Fill her soul everyday… learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important and validated and CHERISHED. Ask her to create a list of 10 THINGS that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel like a queen.

11. Be present. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is.

12. Be willing to take her sexually, to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully.

13. Don’t be an idiot…. And don’t be afraid of being one either. You will make mistakes and so will she. Try not to make too big of mistakes, and learn from the ones you do make. You’re not supposed to be perfect, just try to not be too stupid.

14. Give her space… The woman is so good at giving and giving, and sometimes she will need to be reminded to take time to nurture herself. Sometimes she will need to fly from your branches to go and find what feeds her soul, and if you give her that space she will come back with new songs to sing…. (okay, getting a little too poetic here, but you get the point. Tell her to take time for herself, ESPECIALLY after you have kids. She needs that space to renew and get re-centered, and to find herself after she gets lost in serving you, the kids and the world.)

15. Be vulnerable… you don’t have to have it all together. Be willing to share your fears and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes.

16. Be fully transparent. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share EVERYTHING… Especially those things you don’t want to share. It takes courage to fully love, to fully open your heart and let her in when you don’t know i she will like what she finds… Part of that courage is allowing her to love you completely, your darkness as well as your light. DROP THE MASK… If you feel like you need to wear a mask around her, and show up perfect all the time, you will never experience the full dimension of what love can be.

17. Never stop growing together… The stagnant pond breeds malaria, the flowing stream is always fresh and cool. Atrophy is the natural process when you stop working a muscle, just as it is if you stop working on your relationship. Find common goals, dreams and visions to work towards.

18. Don’t worry about money. Money is a game, find ways to work together as a team to win it. It never helps when teammates fight. Figure out ways to leverage both persons strength to win.

19. Forgive immediately and focus on the future rather than carrying weight from the past. Don’t let your history hold you hostage. Holding onto past mistakes that either you or she makes, is like a heavy anchor to your marriage and will hold you back. FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM. Cut the anchor loose and always choose love.

20. Always choose love. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. In the end, this is the only advice you need. If this is the guiding principle through which all your choices is governed, there is nothing that will threaten the happiness of your marriage. Love will always endure.

In the end marriage isn’t about happily ever after. It’s about work. And a commitment to grow together and a willingness to continually invest in creating something that can endure eternity. Through that work, the happiness will come. Marriage is life, and it will bring ups and downs. Embracing all of the cycles and learning to learn from and love each experience will bring the strength and perspective to keep building, one brick at a time.

These are lessons I learned the hard way. These are lessons I learned too late. But these are lessons I am learning and committed in carrying forward. Truth is, I loved being married, and in time, I will get married again, and when I do, I will build it with a foundation that will endure any storm and any amount of time.

If you are reading this and find wisdom in my pain, share it those those young husbands whose hearts are still full of hope, and with those couples you may know who may have forgotten how to love. One of those men may be like I was, and in these hard earned lessons perhaps something will awaken in him and he will learn to be the man his lady has been waiting for.

MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE: Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from. Be the type of husband your wife can’t help but brag about......
 
Last edited:
I can imagine the men who read this complaing about a similar list for women, and what we need to do for them
 
I can imagine the men who read this complaing about a similar list for women, and what we need to do for them
I see quite the opposite...always books, lists, lessons, to do/not do's for women on how to keep a man, get a man, keep him happy, etc. This was a refreshing breath of air for a change.
 
Sounds like he was a mf'er who messed up a good thing.

You know what? Someone posted this on Facebook and after I read it I kinda gave him the side eye. The points he makes are great but it reminded me of all the times men say they are sorry, I get it, I'll never do that again. IDK but I just felt like he was trying to make himself look good so that he could get a new wife and go back to doing the same mess. I just don't believe him.
 
I see quite the opposite...always books, lists, lessons, to do/not do's for women on how to keep a man, get a man, keep him happy, etc. This was a refreshing breath of air for a change.

Youre right. It is refreshg. I just dont think men read those kinds of books and lists for women
 
Youre right. It is refreshg. I just dont think men read those kinds of books and lists for women

Men aren't gonna read books, etc for advice on women. Unfortunately that burden all falls on us to get it right and figure out them and then cater to them. I doubt men are sitting around trying to come up with ways to figure women out and be a better man. We hv magazines, articles, books, seminars - u name it we have it on how to attract men, keep them, and work with them.
 
If he sticks by his post marriage sentiment, the 2nd marriage is going to rock and the lady will be very lucky.
 
Men aren't gonna read books, etc for advice on women. Unfortunately that burden all falls on us to get it right and figure out them and then cater to them. I doubt men are sitting around trying to come up with ways to figure women out and be a better man. We hv magazines, articles, books, seminars - u name it we have it on how to attract men, keep them, and work with them.
:lol: A simple google search would show you guys invest a lot of time in the same types of things too. Maybe not as much as women but definitely way more than some of y'all seem to think.
 
If he sticks by his post marriage sentiment, the 2nd marriage is going to rock and the lady will be very lucky.

My BF of three years could have written the marriage sentiment. He acknowledges his faults and weaknesses in his previous marriage and although the marriage ultimately ended because she cheated, he owns up to his shortcomings as well. He researched, read books and really took the time to learn how the right woman should be treated if he was blessed enough to have another shot at it. So I am that lucky and blessed woman who is the beneficiary of lessons learned and I definitely don't take it for granted... :-)
 
destinyseeker - God has blessed you and it seems that you know it!! Awesome!! Remember your own words
I am that lucky and blessed woman who is the beneficiary of lessons learned and I definitely don't take it for granted
and enjoy your blessing!
 
Men aren't gonna read books, etc for advice on women. Unfortunately that burden all falls on us to get it right and figure out them and then cater to them. I doubt men are sitting around trying to come up with ways to figure women out and be a better man. We hv magazines, articles, books, seminars - u name it we have it on how to attract men, keep them, and work with them.


This has got to be the BIGGEST misconception I have read in a long time! I shook my head at every line you wrote. :nono:

I dated a man who read so much about relationships that it drove me nuts! There are tons of websites (Askmen, etc.), magazines (GQ, etc.), books (DocLove "The System"), seminars (PUA, etc.)….not to mention published journal articles about the best marrying ages and what not. Men read PLENTY about relationships. I mean dudes even know about Proverbs 31 women……where is the ideal man described in such detail in the Bible?!?!? There is plenty for men to read about when it comes to getting a good woman. :yep:
 
This has got to be the BIGGEST misconception I have read in a long time! I shook my head at every line you wrote. :nono:

I dated a man who read so much about relationships that it drove me nuts! There are tons of websites (Askmen, etc.), magazines (GQ, etc.), books (DocLove "The System"), seminars (PUA, etc.)….not to mention published journal articles about the best marrying ages and what not. Men read PLENTY about relationships. I mean dudes even know about Proverbs 31 women……where is the ideal man described in such detail in the Bible?!?!? There is plenty for men to read about when it comes to getting a good woman. :yep:


Ok... well it's good to know. In my experience I just haven't come across men that are devouring 'how to' books and information on relationships as readily as women are. I know of these sites askmen, etc... but even having been on this forum for years, there's tonssss of advice for women, and advice from married woman, and usually the work of trying to get the relationship 'right' falls a lot on the woman. That's cool that you came across a man that is reading this type of stuff, but ime, that isn't the majority, that's all I'm saying. I think men think differently from us by nature and as women we're more inclined to console one another and seek advice and talk about our relationship problems, etc... Men handle problems a little differently than we do.
 
Ok... well it's good to know. In my experience I just haven't come across men that are devouring 'how to' books and information on relationships as readily as women are. I know of these sites askmen, etc... but even having been on this forum for years, there's tonssss of advice for women, and advice from married woman, and usually the work of trying to get the relationship 'right' falls a lot on the woman. That's cool that you came across a man that is reading this type of stuff, but ime, that isn't the majority, that's all I'm saying. I think men think differently from us by nature and as women we're more inclined to console one another and seek advice and talk about our relationship problems, etc... Men handle problems a little differently than we do.

I agree as to your last sentences. That is why I believe men read a lot more about relationships than women. Women discuss it at length with our friends and on boards like this. Men don't seek advice from people they know because they want to appear to have it figured out on their own. That's why Askmen and GQ are so popular -- men can consult books, websites, magazines without their friends knowing....and they do!
 
This has got to be the BIGGEST misconception I have read in a long time! I shook my head at every line you wrote. :nono:

I dated a man who read so much about relationships that it drove me nuts! There are tons of websites (Askmen, etc.), magazines (GQ, etc.), books (DocLove "The System"), seminars (PUA, etc.)….not to mention published journal articles about the best marrying ages and what not. Men read PLENTY about relationships. I mean dudes even know about Proverbs 31 women……where is the ideal man described in such detail in the Bible?!?!? There is plenty for men to read about when it comes to getting a good woman. :yep:

I still feel like this is a special kind of man. The only time I ever see most mean read anything is if it has anything to do with sports.

I have never in my life see a man pick up GQ. But I guess if they are still around, someone's gotta be reading that magazine....
 
Back
Top