Member-only story
My Top 12 Relationship Tips from 12-Step Recovery
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here are the top 12 relationships tips I learned from 12-step recovery. Seeing as I’m now in the first (and only) healthy relationship of my life after about 40 years of dating, you might want to take heed of these.
Don’t date for the first year you’re in a personal development program. The reason for this is that you’re going to be a completely different person after a year of any personal development program. If it’s going well, you’ll be a much healthier version of yourself in a year. That means you’ll be attracted to healthier people, and healthier people are going to be attracted to you.
Be real. Don’t fake who you are, and act like you like things that you don’t like. Being fake is dishonest, unsustainable and likely to fill you with resentment when you continually do things you don’t like.
When somebody tells you who they are believe them! For example, if somebody starts out by deceiving you, then believe that they’re a deceiver. If you meet someone online who looks absolutely nothing like their online picture, they’re telling you, “I’m not what I appear to be.” Stop giving the benefit of the doubt to strangers!
Take the relationship one day at a time. That is, take things slowly, bit by bit. There’s no rush. If you or your dating partner have…
