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“The thing I like about the GPS is that it says, ‘Turn right in 100 metres.  Turn right in 50 metres.’  And if you miss the turn, it just says ‘Re-calculating,’ very calmly.  In real life, if you were with your partner it might be something different, more like, “Ok turn here.  Turn HERE!!!  You’re gonna miss it!!  TURN HERE!!  YOU MISSED THE TURN!!  YOU MISSED THE TURN!!!  I told you to turn there!!‘  This is what you’re missing without a GPS…”  Copyright © 2011 Comedian Brian Stollery

Imagine what we could learn if we approached our relationship from this GPS perspective.

If our partner makes a turn we don’t like or if we end up going a different direction than we mapped out, instead of getting angry or upset, we could just calmly re-calculate.

We come into our relationships with pre-conceived ideas and expectations.  We want things to be a specific way (our way) and we get angry when our partner isn’t doing what we think they should be doing.  We sometimes forget to be gentle when we have disagreements.  We sometimes forget to be on one another’s side. 

Disagreements in relationships happen.  How we handle them is what matters.  We all have different ways of approaching things.  Instead of getting angry or upset, perhaps we would do better to calmly re-calculate;  give ourselves a few moments, give our partner the benefit of the doubt and then give ourselves the opportunity to express our feelings in a calm and respectful manner.  A little love and kindness can really go a long way.

If you find yourself getting angry or upset by something your partner is doing, before you react to the situation, take a moment and see if you can re-calculate and come to them in a more calm and relaxed manner.