Why Talking Is Not Enough: Eight Loving Actions That Will Transform Your Marriage

My husband and I have been working on our communication and other hot topics for over ten years. As you would expect, we come from different perspectives and have yet to sustantially improve our communication or resolve our hot issues. In counseling our therapist recommended we discontinue our efforts to resolve our issues and try working on our spiritual connection individually and together. A friend recommended a book that she discovered in her search for some help in her spiritual practice. Just reviewing the first chapter on-line sold me on Susan Page's book. I bought it immediately and then my husband bought it, he was so impressed with my recommendation. We are both reading and working on our spiritual practices and are amazed at the results. We can only work on ourselves. We cannot fix others. There are many relationship guru's who are saying very much the same things, in different ways. This book spoke directly to me. The basic message is to start with yourself. I've read my fair share of self-help and relationship rescue books with good information and messages, but this one gives you "experiments' to try which was a bonus for me. I finally had something that worked for me that didn't take a degree, or hours of unavailable time to write or perform. I saw immediate results and I feel "free" at last. I no longer feel trapped or victimized. I can take action and feel the power of an inner peace I've never felt. I recommend this book regularly to family and friends. I am using the loving actions with all my relationships. Without the recommendation of my therapist to develop a spiritual practice and the tip on this book, I believe my marriage would be no more. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reading this book!

This book is about developing a "Spiritual Partnership" with your mate. Surprisingly, Susan Page believes that this is possible even if all the effort is coming from only one of the partners. In essence, it's about how to be a spiritual partner yourself. Though it is actually a rewrite of an earlier book (If we're so in love, Why aren't we happy?), it has been augmented and reorganized so that it's even better than before.After 30 years of marriage, my husband and I have certainly gotten to the point of realizing that more discussion just doesn't help: Most of our issues have been on the table for years. We've discussed them many times, we understand the other person's point of view, and can even empathize to a certain extent. And yet, in the past, when one of these hot-button issues would surface (once again), we would both feel hopeless and demoralized.This book really helped me to change my focus; and to the extent I have been able to follow through with the "experiments," I've seen improvement--not in getting my husband to finally see things "my way," but in both of us being happier and more comfortable in our relationship.This is one of the best self-help books about marriage that I have ever read; and although its focus is on couples, I found the approaches it suggests are also helpful in my relationships with my children and co-workers. I have recommended it to many friends and relatives, and their reactions to it have been quite positive as well.

In a day and age where there are waves and waves of idea's surrounding self improvement and relationship building, it is difficult to discern where to start. It seems like chasing rabbits sometimes. This book initially caught my eye by the title because that was the common complaint I would get in relationships...back up what you are saying with action. Though, the book is MUCH more thorough in just talking about that subject, it really focuses on spiritual growth as not only an individual, but in your relationship. It takes the reader to the next step past equality in a relationship, but delves deep into spirituality (NOT religion) being the driving force to a healthy life and an amazing partnership.I downloaded this book to my iPad via Amazon Kindle, and then just had to get the actual book. It is full of highlights and am reading it over and over because the idea's in it are thorough in content and complete in thought for a great system to apply to your life and build into solid habits.I highly recommend this book if: You are just starting a relationship, are in an incredible relationship, but mostly if you are hurting in your current relationship.Rick

I am 50, divorced, single and in a good relationship. I bought this book to learn how to communicate better with my daughter so I was totally open to really reading it. Turns out that my openness allowed me to understand my divorce and why my first marriage did not work. You know the saying when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Yeah from time to time I feel the author is a bit heavy with the spiritual zen stuff, but maybe in another 20 years if I read it again, I would not feel that way. Bottom line is that the book has some excellent ideas and techniques and for anyone in a relationship I recommend reading this book.

This book is fabulous. It's a how-to manual about how to have a great relationship without constantly talking about your problems (which usually fails, anyway).

The strategies in this book have the potential to transform so much more than just our primary relationships. This book feels like a ray of hope during our currently troubled collectivetimes.

Well, some of the principles will work, but basically the author has taken Christian principles and attempted to adapt them to the world. As a Christian I cannot rate the book very highly

this is an old standby. I have fallen in to old bad habits (familiar family stuff) and have found this book to be the best help for my relationship. we always want to change them and it is so frustrating. give up and get healthy and happy! susan page is great! pick this book up every year without fail for a refresher. start to feel unhappy and this book helps!!!!!

This book in my view is a must for anyone in a committed relationship and wishing that to succeed. The book represents an 8-step how-to-manual for happily living together within a successful spiritual partnership. Concepts like generating goodwill, avoid problem solving, practicing restraint, acting as if, balancing your needs versus the partnership, acting alone, practicing acceptance and compassion, get to the core of the authors wisdom and spiritual teachings. This book puts a practical relationship oriented face to the spiritual wisdoms of the likes of Dalia Lama, Thích Nhất Hạnh and Ekhart Tolle, which I think is quite unique.The bad news is you have to do all the work. The good news is you get to do all the work – empowering you to make the difference, whilst providing you a context for making your own spiritual growth happen. The fact of the matter is relationships can be tough and our emotional responses can undermine this when we face difficult situations. I think the Author could have given more practical guidance on “practicing restraint and acceptance” and “acting as if” – in the heat of the moment – because that’s not always easy. These steps gloss over the real issues that stem from our core emotional belief system, and what is considered “best practice” for managing this. This all came too late for me just recently, but I know how invaluable living by these principles will be next time, and frankly are now for my other relationships, friendships and people encounters!

This is a great book. It was in great condition. Anyone who wants to improve their relationship should read it.

This book is fantastic. It really puts into perspective the importance of taking responsibility for yourself in a relationship and how actions speak louder than words.The book provides 8 loving actions which can be used in day to day relationship issues or bigger problems where there may not even be a solution. Both myself and my partner have read the book and we agree how beneficial it has been to our relationship.Take my word for it and read this book... you really wont be disappointed.