Archive for February, 2007

Beda antara Cinta dan Cocok

Sunday, February 11th, 2007

JAWABAN.com
                              - Salah satu alasan paling umum mengapa kita menikah adalah karena cinta – cinta  romantik, bukan cinta agape, yang biasa kita alami sebagai prelude ke pernikahan. Cintalah yang meyakinkan kita untuk melangkah bersama masuk ke mahligai pernikahan.

Masalahnya
adalah, walaupun cinta merupakan suatu daya yang sangat kuat untuk
menarik dua individu, namun ia tidak cukup kuat untuk merekatkan
keduanya.

Makin hari makin bertambah keyakinan saya bahwa yang
diperlukan untuk merekatkan kita dengan pasangan kita adalah kecocokan,
bukan cinta.

Saya akan jelaskan apa yang saya maksud.

Biasanya
cinta datang kepada kita ibarat seekor burung yang tiba- tiba hinggap
di atas kepala kita. Saya menggunakan istilah "datang" karena sulit
sekali (meskipun mungkin) untuk membuat atau mengkondisikan diri
mencintai seseorang.

Setelah
cinta menghinggapi kita, cinta pun mulai mengemudikan kita ke arah
orang yang kita cintai itu. Sudah tentu kehendak rasional turut
berperan dalam proses pengemudian ini. Misalnya, kita bisa menyangkal
hasrat cinta karena alasan-alasan tertentu. Tetapi, jika tidak ada
alasan-alasan itu, kita pun akan menuruti dorongan cinta dan berupaya
mendekatkan diri dengan orang tersebut.

Cinta biasanya mengandung satu komponen yang umum yakni rasa suka.

Sebagai
contoh, kita berkata bahwa pada awalnya kita tertarik dengan gadis atau
pria itu karena sabarannya, kebaikannya menolong kita, perhatiannya
yang besar terhadap kita, wajahnya yang cantik atau sikapnya yang
simpatik, dan sejenisnya. Dengan kata lain, setelah menyaksikan
kualitas tersebut di atas timbullah rasa suka terhadapnya sebab memang
sebelum kita bertemu dengannya kita sudah menyukai kualitas tersebut.

Misalnya,
memang kita mengagumi pria yang sabar, memang kita menghormati wanita
yang lemah lembut, memang kita mengukai orang yang rela menolong orang
lain dan seterusnya.

Jadi, rasa suka muncul karena kita menemukan yang kita sukai pada dirinya.

Saya yakin cinta lebih kompleks dari apa yang telah saya uraikan.

Namun
khusus untuk pembahasan kali ini, saya membatasi lingkup cinta hanya
pada unsur suka saja. Cocok dan suka tidak identik namun sering
dianggap demikian. Saya berikan contoh.

Saya suka rumah yang
besar dengan taman yang luas, tetapi belum tentu saya cocok tinggal di
rumah yang besar seperti itu. Saya tahu saya tidak cocok tinggal di
rumah sebesar itu sebab saya bukanlah tipe orang yang rajin
membersihkan dan memelihara taman (yang dengan cepat akan bertumbuh
kembang menjadi hutan). Itulah salah satu contoh di mana suka tidak
sama dengan cocok. Contoh yang lain. Rumah saya kecil dan cocok dengan
saya yang berjadwal lumayan sibuk dan kurang ada waktu mengurusnya.

Namun
saya kurang suka dengan rumah ini karena bagi saya, kurang besar
(tamannya). Pada contoh ini kita bisa melihat bahwa cocok berlainan
dengan suka. Pada intinya, yang saya sukai belum tentu ocok buat saya;
yang cocok dengan saya belum pasti saya sukai. Sekarang kita akan
melihat kaitannya dengan pemilihan pasangan hidup.

Tatkala
kita mencintai seseorang, sebenarnya kita terlebih dahulu menyukainya,
dalam pengertian kita suka dengan ciri tertentu pada dirinya. Rasa suka
yang besar (yang akhirnya berpuncak pada cinta) akan menutupi rasa
tidak suka yang lebih kecil dan — ini yang penting — cenderung
menghalau ketidakcocokan yang ada di antara kita. Di sinilah terletak
awal masalah.

Ini yang acap kali terjadi dalam masa berpacaran.

Rasa
suka meniup pergi ketidakcocokan di antara kita, bahkan pada akhirnya
kita beranggapan atau berilusi bahwa rasa suka itu identik dengan
kecocokan. Kita kadang berpikir atau berharap, "Saya menyukainya,
berarti saya (akan) cocok dengannya." Salah besar!

Suka tidak
sama dengan cocok; cinta tidak identik dengan cocok! Alias, kita
mungkin mencintai seseorang yang sama sekali tidak cocok dengan kita.

Pada
waktu Tuhan menciptakan Hawa untuk menjadi istri Adam, Ia menetapkan
satu kriteria yang khusus dan ini hanya ada pada penciptaan istri
manusia, yakni, "Aku akan menjadikan penolong baginya, yang sepadan
dengan dia." (Kejadian 2:18).

Kata "sepadan" dapat kita ganti
dengan kata "cocok." Tuhan tidak hanya menciptakan seorang wanita buat
Adam yang dapat dicintainya, Ia sengaja menciptakan seorang wanita yang
cocok untuk Adam.

Tuhan tahu bahwa untuk dua manusia bisa hidup bersama mereka harus cocok.

Menarik
sekali bahwa Tuhan tidak mengagungkan cinta (romantik) sebagai
prasyarat pernikahan. Tuhan sudah memberi kita petunjuk bahwa yang
terpenting bagi suami dan istri adalah kecocokan. Ironisnya adalah,
kita telah menggeser hal esensial yang Tuhan tunjukkan kepada kita
dengan cara mengganti kata "cocok" dengan kata "cinta." Tuhan
menginginkan yang terbaik bagi kita; itulah sebabnya Ia telah
menyingkapkan hikmat-Nya kepada kita.

Sudah
tentu cinta penting, namun yang terlebih penting ialah, apakah ia cocok
denganku? Saya teringat ucapan Norman Wright, seorang pakar keluarga di
Amerika Serikat, yang mengeluhkan bahwa dewasa ini orang lebih banyak
mencurahkan waktu untuk menyiapkan diri memperoleh surat ijin mengemudi
dibanding dengan mempersiapkan diri untuk memilih pasangan hidup. Saya
kira kita telah termakan oleh motto, "Cinta adalah segalanya," dan
melupakan fakta di lapangan bahwa cinta (romantik) bukan segalanya.

Jadi, kesimpulannya ialah, cintailah yang cocok dengan kita!
(rad)

                              

Sumber: Dr. Paul Gunadi - artikel.sabda.org

Are You Really Ready for Love? Expressing Love for Your Mate

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Are You Really Ready for Love? Expressing Love for Your Mate
Dr. David B. Hawkins
The Relationship Doctor

Walking through the park on an early Spring day, I saw a couple eating a sack lunch and talking excitedly with one another.

They were young, and I presumed by their frequent touching, constant
eye contact and genuine interest in what the other has had to say, they
were in love.

“Ah, love is so nice,” I thought to myself. “Here is a couple who truly love one another and is able to show it.”

We are now in our fourth of a series of ten qualities needed to determine if you are really ready for love – the ability to express love, in words and action, for your mate.

At first glance, this
quality may seem far too simplistic. Who is unable to express love for
their mate? Isn’t that Requirement Number 1?

Yes. There is hardly any
relationship that will proceed past the first date unless someone
clearly expresses a desire to see that other person again. Then, after
the first couple of dates, someone must take the risk of sharing their
wish for seeing the other again – and again, and again.

Here’s where a problems
arise. There can be a distinct, and disruptive, break in the action.
You might feel loving, and genuinely care about the other person, but
if you cannot show it, in language that is meaningful to them, you are in for a rude awakening.

It is not enough to feel
loving. We must be sensitive to the others “love language.” You know
the routine. For one person, love means gassing up their car and making
sure the kids are picked up from soccer practice on time. For another
it means a surprise weekend away. The critical issue is that you become
sensitive to learning your mate’s love language. A love relationship
requires an ability to constantly set one’s agenda aside to be alert
for ways to meet your mate’s love needs.

Sadly, the old joke – with more than a hint of truth to it – goes something like this:

She:  I need to know that you love me.
He:  Well, if I didn’t love you I wouldn’t have married you.
She:  But, that was twenty years ago.
He:  If my feelings changed I would have told you.

Or, how about this version:

He:  I need to know what you would like from me to show you I love you.
She:  Well, if I have to tell you, it doesn’t mean anything to me. If I
have to ask you for flowers and a dinner out, I’m not going to do it.
It doesn’t mean anything to me.

Ouch!

Love requires
action – thoughtful action. It is not enough to feel it. Each of us
wants to receive love in action. So, if you are really ready for love,
you are ready for the work involved in learning your mate’s love
language – even if it changes over time. You are ready to anticipate
his or her needs.

Scott Peck, in his book,
"The Road Less Traveled," says that love means seeking the best for the
other person. Love means wanting the other’s highest good. The Apostle
Paul said love “is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps
no record of wrongs.” (I Corinthians 13: 5)

Love, real love, takes work.
It takes a tenacious attitude toward creating an atmosphere in your
relationship where love will prosper, not simply survive. It is not
enough to buy your mate a card on Valentine’s Day and a special gift
for his/her birthday. Real love takes action – seven days a week.

Let me offer you a few action steps to consider as you determine if you are really ready to fiercely pursue love.

One, say what you feel.
Learn the language of e-motions – energy in motion. Practice telling
your mate, every day, what you feel, think and want. Learn to share the
broad variety of emotions: sadness, happiness, joy, ecstasy,
disappointment, frustration. Revealing these inner tides of emotions is
a way to endear yourself to your mate.

Two, really listen to your mate.
Don’t simply listen for the obvious. Listen for what is said, and what
is not said that lingers below the surface. Help your mate give
expression to what they really want to say.

Three, ask for what you need.
Be willing to risk asking your mate for what you want. Perhaps you want
more time with them – ask for it. Perhaps you want a lovely candlelight
dinner out at your favorite French restaurant – ask for it. Perhaps you
want to attend a different church service together – ask for it.

Four, share what really makes you feel loved.
Don’t be reluctant to sit down with your mate and share, again, those
things that are very special and make you feel especially loved.
Encourage him, or her, to do the same. Make a vow to do those things
that make each other feel loved.

Finally, celebrate every day together.
Find ways to make each encounter special. Eat meals together. Pray
together. Take walks together. Do not lose sight of the fact that each
day, each moment, is a gift. It is a gift to be with one another, not
to be taken for granted.

Are you ready
to show your mate, in words and actions, that they are very special to
you? If so, you may really be ready for love.

http://www.crosswalk.com/community/singles/1375973.html

Are You Really Ready for Love? The Capacity to Receive Love

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Are You Really Ready for Love?  The Capacity to Receive Love
Dr. David B. Hawkins
The Relationship Doctor

We are well on our way to
discovering, and hopefully developing, the traits needed to really be
ready for love. How are you faring so far? Are you letting go of the
desire to influence, control, manipulate or even coerce your mate into
being that exact specimen of loveliness you had originally imagined?
Are you ready to accept and love him or her for who they are? Are you
able to express love freely in word and action? If so, you may be ready
for the next task on your way to readiness for love: the capacity to receive love.

Some of you may be surprised
at this one. How did it get on the list? Isn’t everyone ready and able
to receive love? Aren’t we all self-centered individuals constantly
seeking someone to love us? Yes, and no.

The truth of the matter is
that many have not developed the skill to openly discuss their “love
languages” – what is hoped for and expected as far as expressions of
love – and so do not know how to even really ask for love. While it may
seem simple, helping someone to know how to offer us love can be quite
complex. It requires skill and practice to inform your mate on the
specifics of how you prefer to be loved. Let me offer an example.

Stan and Mary have been
dating for nearly two years and came to see me after being referred by
their pastor. They were both in their late twenties and were ready for
a serious relationship leading to marriage.

In the past few months,
however, in discussing marriage and what that means for them, they have
discovered a communication problem regarding expressing affection. Mary
feels as though she often gives more than she receives, while Stan is
frustrated because he is unclear about what she wants and needs. This
has created tension in their relationship.

“We love each other,” Mary began. “I can’t imagine being without him. But, I’m not getting what I need lately.”

“And what is that?” I questioned.

At that point Stan jumped in.

“This is the thing that
frustrates me. Sometimes I come over in the evening and ask her what
she needs, and she just pouts. It drives me nuts.”

“I don’t know exactly what I
need. All I know is that when we met it seemed to happen naturally. I
hate even having to ask for affection.”

In talking with Stan and
Mary, they admitted to slacking off in showing each other affection and
were now unsure as to what each expected from the relationship. I
suggested we talk about not only how they show love, but their capacity
to receive love.

As we explored their love
languages, both were surprised at how little each really knew about the
other. Mary, particularly, discovered that she had difficulty in
sharing how she preferred to be loved, always assuming that expressions
of love would simply come to her automatically. She found it was hard
to ask for what she needed or desired. She shared how, because of
rejection early in her life, she had always had a tough time fully
permitting herself to be loved. If it came naturally, she could usually
accept it, but she was afraid to verbalize what she really wanted. We
explored these issues in their counseling and the impact on their
relationship.

There are two broad reasons why some people cannot easily allow themselves to ask for, or let love in: they are afraid of it, or they feel they don’t deserve it. Consider the possibility that you may fear intimacy. You may feel unsafe and so deprive yourself of the gift of closeness.

If you have a deficiency in your capacity to receive love, there are several questions you should ask yourself:

  • Am I afraid to let love in? To acknowledge receiving it? Why? What is the danger?
  • What happened in my childhood experiences with love that made it dangerous?
  • Were my needs for love ignored? Were my efforts to get love somehow punished?
  • Have later experiences with romantic love been so disappointing or
    traumatic that I have shut down my receptors and responsiveness to
    another person’s love?
  • Have I become wary and cynical about the possibility of being genuinely loved?
  • Am I ashamed to show another person that I would like his or her love?

To receive love, obviously,
we must be open about our desire for love – and our love language. Do
you let your needs for love be known? When feeling hurt or rejected,
how easy is it to share your feelings? Do you respond
passive-aggressively by withdrawing, pouting, putting up a wall? Try to
catch your relationship-destroying ways of blocking the other person’s
love and to understand the reasons why you play such dirty tricks on
yourself.

The Scriptures talk about
loving your neighbor as you love yourself. But we forget this. Many of
us find it easier to love others than we do to love ourselves, or to
ask for love. Brennan Manning, in his wonderful book, "The Ragamuffin Gospel," surmised
that perhaps the scripture that talks about “in as much as you have
done it unto the least of these” could really be talking about you and
me. We are often the needy ones who block others from getting too close
to us.

Here is an exercise I would like you to try with your mate.

  1. Tell your mate the
    qualities you would like to be lovingly recognized and appreciated
    for – .i.e. preparing meals for dinners together;
  2. State how you would like that love to be shown – i.e. words of affirmation;
  3. Tell them exactly what is your love language – i.e. to be hugged often in a loving way;
  4. Share with your mate how any childhood issues get in the way of
    receiving love – i.e. you fear rejection if you ask for what you
    desire;
  5. Notice the feelings of shame or embarrassment you have in completing this exercise.

We all need love. And lots
of it. Are you ready to talk about your need for it, and even share the
specific ways you would like it? Are you actively healing from any
difficulties in childhood that may sabotage your openness to love? If
so, you may really be ready for love.

http://www.crosswalk.com/community/singles/1377702.html