Last week my partner Sunaina and I were halfway around the world in Bali celebrating a cousin’s wedding.

And you might not know this my dude, but travelling for 36 hours with a four-year-old and then participating in a 3-day Indian wedding is HARD.

On top of that, Sunaina and I disagreed all the time about what to do, what to eat, and how to respond to our fiesty kid.

But we did not murder each other with any of the coconuts lying around everywhere!

In fact we had a magical time reconnecting with family, splashing through waterfalls, and drinking our weight in cocounut water.

Want to know how we did it?

Understanding.

Really!

Whenever Sunaina and I found ourselves struggling to make a decision, we did our best to understand each other.

And that changed EVERYTHING.

For example, when we arrived in Bali, our daughter was severely jetlagged and stayed up for hours in the middle of the night.

Sunaina and I were both cranky and tired and desperate to sleep. We talked it over and agreed that I’m the bigger hot mess when I don’t get enough sleep, so Sunaina volunteered to watch our kid bounce off the walls while I rested.

Then I took over in the morning and we went swimming while Sunaina caught up on sleep.

If we didn’t know how to understand each other, I guarantee you that Sunaina and I would still be in that hotel room, red-eyed and attacking each other with tropical fruits.

And on the last night of our trip, I was stuck in bed with an upset stomach that got so bad we weren’t sure if I could make the return flight.

I wanted Sunaina to stay with me, but I also understood how much she needed to connect with family that we might not see again for years.

It became an easy decision to encourage her to share one last dinner with her family.

The truth is that Sunaina and I use the power of understanding all the time, whether we’re surviving a vacation or making decisions at home.

Our ability to understand each other is the reason I believe we can reach an agreement through anything — like deciding how to raise our daughter; choosing how we spend or save money; and deciding where to go on our next vacation.

Learning to undertand your partner — and have them understand you — is the key to unlocking a life filled with more partnership, love, and support.

I teach this to my clients so they can ENJOY life with their partners without having to dread disagreements or walk on eggshells (or coconuts?) around each other.

Life can be simpler, easier, and more joyful!

If you’re ready to make this change, send me a message.

I can’t wait to show you what’s possible :)

-Matt