LESSON 5
Becoming a Better Half:
Jewish Insights into Preserving Marital Harmony
Marriage can bring out the best in us. But sometimes it can also bring out
the worst. In the heat of the moment, rational thinking often seems to go
out the window. Yet, the very essence of being human is the ability to inhibit
an impulsive response in favor of a reasoned one; this is what separates us
from animals and empowers us to take the high road in any situation.
By mentally preparing ourselves for marital conflicts and challenges before
they occur, our minds can “rule over” our hearts and have a significant
and lasting effect on our behavior.
This lesson explores insights, tools and meditations both for dissipating
feelings of anger and resentment that fuel conflict, as well as for reorienting
our perspectives to help prevent them in the first place. In so doing, it helps
us turn the rough patches of our marriage into catalysts for becoming a
better half.