The Fantasy Bond or Honeymoon Stage & Working Past this Stage to Succeed with Love By Tony Vernon, HWC, NMC, AMC, MMC
The Fantasy Bond was developed by Dr. Robert Firestone, to describe an unconscious, romanticized connection between two people, which is often rooted in fantasy-based expectations, and not grounded in reality. However, it is this fantasy bond, or more clearly the idealization of love, that brings us together at the start of a loving relationship as a couple.
Our deepest hopes, desire for love, and our vivid imagination for love to work are magnified at the start of a loving relationship. It is this, the brain chemistry of the fantasy bond and honeymoon stage, that pulls directly on our heart, to bring us together as a couple wanting to develop a loving relationship.
The honeymoon stage is a healthy stage, where the intensity of the loving relationship is driven by the newness and excitement of it, but the intensity of the newness and excitement will fade fairly soon. It is then that work will be required, because to succeed with love requires:
- Awareness
- Specific Communication Skills to Navigate the Heart’s Openness
- Mental & Emotional Abilities
- Financial Stability
- & Character
It is true that a loving relationship can bring you more satisfaction, fulfillment, excitement and happiness than probably anything else in life, but this is only if you have the skills to build a deep connection.
A loving relationship contributes to your longevity possibly more so than anything else, but people can be easily sold on the latest supplement, health device, or nutritional or exercise advice that is trending, unaware that a beautiful loving relationship dramatically impacts longevity.
The longest-running study on happiness, the 80+ year Harvard study on adult development shows very clearly that a loving partner, and close connected relationships with family and friends and community is the key to our happiness and our longevity.
We are constantly sold to by marketing attempting to occupy our attention. Buy a luxury watch, car, house, boat and plane, but to what degree do you value your loving partner, and family?
How committed are you to succeeding with love and becoming a great husband, or wife, or indeed becoming a great mother or father to your children?
What are your Loving Relationship Goals?
Our couples coach training was built to help couples all over the world. Please use self-reflective writing to develop new insights and to integrate learning after watching each video, as well as write your questions down to be ready for the question and answer Zoom calls, so we can better help you, to help couples and families to succeed with love.
