OVERCOMING THE SIX BIG LOVE BUSTERS

1. Selfish Demands – Commanding your spouse to do things that would benefit you at your spouse’s expense.
   1. Question: Who wants to live with a dictator?
   2. Action Step:  Explain what you want and ask how your spouse feels about it.

Grade yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 _______.

2. Disrespectful Judgments – Attempts to “straighten out” your spouse’s attitudes, beliefs, and behavior by trying to impose your way of thinking through lecture, ridicule, threats, or other forceful means.
   1. Question: Who wants to live with a critic?
   2. Action Step:  Express your conflicting opinions to each other with respect and understanding.

Grade yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 _______.

3. Angry Outbursts – Deliberate attempts to hurt your spouse because of anger, usually in the form of verbal or physical attacks.
   1. Question:  Who wants to live with a time bomb?
   2. Action Step:  Train yourself to control your temper when you cannot avoid frustrating situations.

Grade yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 _______.

4. Dishonesty – Reveal to your spouse as much information about yourself as you know – your thoughts, feelings, habits, likes, dislikes, past history, daily activities, and future plans.
   1. Question:  Who wants to live with a liar?
   2. Action Step:  Identify what kind of liar you are and what parts of honesty you have difficulty in achieving.

Grade yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 ______.

5. Annoying Habits – Behaviors repeated without much thought that bother the spouse.
   1. Question:  Who wants to live with a dripping faucet?
   2. Action Step:  Make a list of our annoyances and overcome the first three and keep overcoming others.

Grade yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 ______

6. Independent Behavior – Activities of a spouse that are conceived and executed as if the other spouse did not exist.
   1. Question:  Who wants to live with an inconsiderate jerk?
   2. Action Step:  Never do anything without an agreement between you and your spouse.