Insights from Dr. Kim: State of Your Union
A couple of weeks ago the President of the United States did what every President does at the start of a new year. He delivers a State of the Union address. In the history of our nation, there have been many memorable quotes within these speeches. Some of them have literally changed the direction of America:
1862: Abraham Lincoln referred to the “fiery trial” of the Civil War in his State of the Union, which he delivered shortly after announcing the Emancipation Proclamation.
1941: Franklin Delano Roosevelt's famous "four freedoms" speech underscored the importance in the world of the freedom of speech and worship as well as the freedom from want and fear.
1964: Lyndon Johnson’s declaration of “unconditional war on poverty” in his first State of the Union address set the stage for programs like Medicare and Medicaid, work study and food stamps.
1975: Gerald Ford strikingly declared, “The state of the union is not good,” in a speech he delivered only months after taking over for Richard Nixon.
2002: George W. Bush’s “axis of evil” remark that tied together Iraq, Iran and North Korea is arguably the most memorable line in all of his State of the Union speeches.
The “State of the Union” message varies from year to year. The President’s speech focuses on issues that he feels need to be addressed. The wins are celebrated and a plan for improvement is given. It becomes a pivotal point of the focus of the nation for that year.
What about your union? If you were to give an annual speech on the state of your marriage, what would you say? Looking back at the previous year, what would you say were your wins? Looking at the year in front of you, what would you want to focus on that would make your marriage better? A marriage is either moving forward or moving backwards. It never seems to stand still. Which direction is your marriage heading? If you do nothing, where will your marriage be this time next year? Having an awesome marriage takes effort. If does not just magically happen. Here is my challenge to you.
What if together you:
Listed all your “wins” from the past 12 months.
Decided two areas to focus on that would grow your marriage over the twelve months
Set goals for improvement
Plan your course of action to accomplish your goals
Celebrate wins along the way
Now you have a choice to make. Do you settle for the status quo, roll the dice, and see where your marriage is in twelve months? Or do you get very intentional and grow your marriage in very positive ways? Nancy and I choose growth. Join us and let’s share our wins!