♥ THE COSTS/BENEFITS OF RULES, EXPECTATIONS AND AGREEMENTS ♥ 

There are distinctions to be made between a rule, an expectation, and an agreement that are important for love, freedom, and ongoing relational joy.

A rule is an obligation, and in order to be enforced requires systems of control that take time, energy, resources, etc. Rules feel stifling and are constrictive to both the sender and the receiver; rules are required for systems but they do not create happy or sustainable partnerships (read on to find a better strategy).

A declaration is a sending of information, which may or may not be properly received by the other party. A declaration is in other words an expectation, (whether an internal thought or spoken/written words), by one person that is delivered in a one-way communication that has desires around it. Declarations and expectations create disappointment, and sometimes even resentment or sadness.

However, there is another option to consider. An AGREEMENT is an aligned acknowledgment of another’s belief, reality, point of view, feeling. Agreements are two-way communication that include a sender and receiver. A clearly understood and agreed upon AGREEMENT, naturally facilitates sustainable relationships. Agreements clarify current alignment, facilitate respectful relating, and ongoing accountability.