Other People's Opinions of Your Marriage

154   Other people in your life  ( friends, family members',  and even professional "authorities" in your life) are going to have opinions on your spouse and your relationship, and they may share them with you. If you don't know how to handle this well, you may end up making things even harder in your relationship.As highly sensitive people it can be all too easy to let our other's opinions –especially if they are in any way negative–color our own experience. And unfortunately, when it comes to our marriage's health and happiness, this can be quite problematic–even if they meant well. I can't tell you how many times my clients have told me they felt EXTRA doubt and confusion about their marriage because someone in their life said something along the lines of “I don't think he’s right for you” or “I don’t know what you see in him.” (And sometimes it’s just what they THINK their friend thinks of their partner that causes pain, fear, and doubt.) This can be crazy-making, and a total power-leak if your goal is to have a really good loving marriage.So today you're going to learn how to handle other people's thoughts and opinions when it comes to your relationship–so you can grow the health of your marriage, instead of diminishing it.  We dive into: What to do about other people’s opinions and advice, including how to discern when to take it on or not.How to stop something someone said about your spouse or marriage from seeping into you and giving it damaging weight or authority.Why their judgments and opinions are NOT that accurate (or important)Whose opinions really matterWho and what IS a trustworthy source of authority, wisdom and truth about your relationship and spouse. And specific ways to get your friends and family to help you grow the marriage you want, instead of accidentally making things harder for you.Even if you haven't ever been subject to hearing negative opinions about your spouse or relationship, if you have friends or family, this episode will help you, since all I share here can be applied to any opinion anyone shares with you about any realm of your life.SHOW NOTES:TAKE THE NEW 2 MINUTE QUIZ, "I Want A More Loving Connected Marriage. Where Do I Start?" It will identify the area that will make the biggest positive impact on your unique marriage when you focus on it.Learn about and enroll in Treasured, Hannah's marriage coaching program for highly sensitive women, here. (Doors close for the YEAR June 20th)ENJOYING THE SHOW? Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Leave  a review in Apple Podcasts--we are SO grateful!Get the Podcast Map by becoming a Podcast Supporter, so you can quickly identify the episodes most helpful for your unique relationship, by supporting the podcast (for as little as $3) HERE.