8 Days to Rethink Your Thinking (For Wives)Sample

Are your thoughts of your husband WORTHY OF PRAISE? According to John Gottman and Robert Levenson in their study of the effects of negativity with couples, for every negative encounter with your husband, you will need to have five positive encounters to counterbalance the effects from the negative one.  5 to 1 is a pretty significant ratio. If this is true, and I believe it is, as wives we have to become very intentional and frequent with the praises of our husbands. Have you ever noticed that in most men’s sports, whether they are little league or professional, there are cheerleaders?  This is actually because men live in a competitive world and they need all the praise they can get. That is why when we become the most effective and proficient cheerleaders for our husbands, we will see them begin to thrive like never before. The interesting thing about cheerleaders is they always cheer like their team is winning 100 to nothing. They never change the cheers because the team is losing. Could that be said of you as your husband’s cheerleader? Looking at what is commonly referred to as the “Proverbs 31 woman,” we find there is some good wisdom in verses 11-12. “ The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” (NASB1995) As we share our praise of our husbands with them, we will begin doing them good and not evil. This brings about him having no lack of gain. Wow!!! Do you recognize the power of thinking and then saying praiseworthy things to your husband? It is a simple, yet powerful practice. Watch the 5:1 ratio rule and become your spouse’s best cheerleader. Choose today to begin to think about the praiseworthy things your husband does. Begin to share them with him. Keep in mind that powerful 5:1 ratio of positive to negative encounters.