For today’s Working on Relationships Wednesday post, I wanted to share a quick thought I heard on TV today. I was watching a show about positive living on the ION life channel and one of the guests began discussing gossip and complaining. She said something to the effect of:

“When we find ourselves gossiping, it is often really a complaint against another person or system. This complaint is often a result of a request we have yet to make. Many times if we would just ask for what we need or want, the reason for our complaint would dissolve.”

I thought this was brilliant. I rarely think of complaining in this way, and upon reflection, I think this is really true. How many times do we allow unspoken requests to fester inside of us. I know that I sometimes expect those around me (especially my husband) to “just know” what I need and want. This simply isn’t fair. The more we are both able to communicate our desires and wishes, the better our relationship will be.