Relationship Readiness

Robert T. Gardner Jr. Presents

What is Relationship Readiness?► It is when you have good emotional health

► What is good Emotional Health?

►Based on your life experiences from childhood until today, it is your state of well being = how good or bad you feel

Why is Relationship Readiness Important?

►It has everything to do with anything about you

►It can determine whether you feel secure and/or insecure in your relationships with others; your level of trust for others; whether or not you are the jealous type; and the type of relationship you have with yourself

How to become Relationship Ready?

►Raise your Self-Esteem

►Increase your Self-Awareness

►Learn to Love Yourself

►Learn to Let Go

►Learn to Forgive

What is Self-Esteem?►It is how you feel about yourself. It can be positive or negative.

►When you feel good about yourself, you care about what happens to you. You make decisions that are good for you.

►If you do not feel good about yourself, you may start to care less about what happens to you. This can lead to unhealthy behavior.

►Low self-esteem should not be confused with depression. If you feel sad or depressed a lot, you should tell your parents or an adult you trust.

Where does Self-esteem come from?

►Different things make you feel good or bad about yourself

►Family members make you feel good or bad about yourself

►Some people encourage you; some people discourage you

►Different experiences make you feel good/bad about yourself

►Only thing that matters is what you tell yourself

**Conduct Self-Esteem Exercise**

The Effect of Self-Esteem• Easily Influenced• Not assertive• Do not feel good about

yourself• Do not talk much• Not good for Relationships• Low Self-Esteem

• High Self-Esteem• Feel confident• Tend to lead others• Feel good about

yourself• Positive thinker• More outgoing

If you are not Relationship Ready►You may not be what you were born to be (This little light of mine – We were all born with a God given talent)

►You may make Bad Relationship Choices

►Your Bad Choices may Lead to Bad Experiences

►Bad Experiences may Lead to Dysfunctional/Abusive Relationships

►Abusive Relationships may Lead to Enormous Consequences

Intimate Partner Violence► Every 15 seconds a woman is assaulted► 4 homicides are committed daily in the US related to intimate partner violence► Most vulnerable group are women ages 16-24► Majority of abuse occurs against women, but it is not gender, age, or race specific► Anyone can be a victim► Annually, nearly 2 million injuries and 1300 deaths

occur nationwide

Love is Not Supposed to Hurt

Relationships Should Feel Good

Develop Common Sense Behavior

►Put the Pieces together, then Decide…

►Trust what you Feel; if it does not feel Good, then it is not Good!

Questions and Answers

See: www.rtgardnerjr.com