Marian and I are on vacation at our favorite spot,
JW Marriott Camelback Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona. It is our “go to” place when we need the 3Rs: rest, romance, and rejuvenation. Needless to say, we’ve been here many times. We go to all the local places and have even developed some relationships out here. It’s pretty cool.
The
spa at the Camelback is one of our favorite places to rest and rejuvenate. We hang out here every day. I usually get a couple of massages, including a scalp, which is hypnotic in a good way. Marian gets the works!
This trip she talked me into doing two treatments I never considered: manicure and pedicure. Everything man about me resisted the idea. Until she told me the price includes a day pass and saves me $5. Sold.
Boy was I sold!
First day was the manicure. My hands had the soft feel women prefer in a chivalry man. Afterwards, Marian had that look in her eye that said “my man did well”.
Day two was the pedicure. Mind you, I had been posting pictures of my feet on FaceBook the day before. Some of the comments were brutal like, “you have gnarly feet”. To which I responded, “manly gnarly feet”.
Guys, note to self: women don’t like “manly gnarly feet”. They like “manly soft feet”.
So, I had a pedicure. Ended up with manly soft feet. Again, Marian had that look in her eye.
Okay guys, let me share three reasons why it is good to listen to your mate sometimes.
They know what’s good for us sometimes
Admit it guys. Women know a lot of things men need that help us for the good. We just don’t listen enough. Many guys worry about women controlling their lives. So do women. That’s a topic for another blog. The point is, sometimes our mates are more informed in areas that we lack. We should be open to their input and act on it.
The pedicure was amazing! Rhonda, my clinician, chiseled layers of dead skin that needed to go. She scrubbed my feet with an exfoliant and followed up with a cream that left a soft and smooth finish. Pedicures are manly!
They like us more when we listen
One of the first things I noticed about Marian was how she moved so close to me afterwards. We already have a great relationship. But, because I took her advice and I liked the result, she felt good that I felt good. Does that make sense?
I made it a point to let her know how much I appreciated her recommendation. She was giddy. Frisky too!
Guys, be sure you let your spouse/partner know you appreciate their advice.
They are more open to listen to us too!
Okay, so now I’m sitting in the men’s relaxation room writing the third reason when a text comes in from my wife. I had recommended she get a scalp massage a few days ago. Here’s what she texted: “
I should have listened to you and had this done sooner. Listening to mate goes both ways.” Great minds think alike!
Here is a general rule about influence in relationships. When we are open to influence from our mates, they will be open to influence from us. I write about this at length in my book,
“Bringing Respect Back: Communicating Without the Conflict”.
Truth be told, we should all do a better job listening to each other.
Now it’s your turn to comment
Can you think of time you listened to your spouse/partner and liked the outcome? I welcome your comment. Click: leave a comment link below.
Are you thinking about doing something your mate has been trying to convince you to do? Ready to take the plunge? Share your plan by clicking the link below: leave a comment.
