Igniting the Spark

Disclaimer: This is post is for grown women only!

A few years ago we published a blog post titled "Romancing your Man" and we listed the top ten actions that get men in a romantic mood in order from most often to least frequent. Please feel free to read that post to see the list in it's entirety here: Romancing your man Today I would like to talk specifically for those of you who may need to put the spark back into your relationship OR if you want to fan the flames to make sure the spark never goes out. This advice to women can be summed up in a simple, easy to remember formula. In order to make sure your relationship stays H.O.T. you need P.I.A.


P - Play dress up: Men are visual creatures. How far you take this depends on your comfort zone, finances and what your man likes. You do not necessarily need to go out and buy a wig, sexy costume or expensive lingerie. But it is important to understand what your man likes and give him just that. For example, my husband has a thing for ponytails and short pleated skirts. He also likes me in a crisp while Men's dress shirt. The good news is that I stopped spending tons of money on fancy lingerie and sleepwear and invested that money in what I know my man likes.

I - Initiate romance/sex: Men like to feel desired. If you make an extra effort to plan a romantic date night and/or initiate sex not only does it take the pressure off of him, it makes him feel wanted. Again, this doesn't mean you have to book a night at the Four Seasons Hotel and have an expensive five course meal. If you have kids, send them to a friend's or relative's house and serve a home cooked meal by candlelight with soft music. This does not count if it is his birthday or some other holiday, it needs to be spontaneous on a random day of the week just because you love him. Now if you already do this from time to time, good job! I say keep it up but make sure you switch it up so it doesn't become boring, routine or expected. The element of surprise adds to the experience.

A - Always say yes: You can roll your eyes and smack your lips if you want to but I am speaking the truth. Men are sexual beings and they have this thing called an ego. So saying no or turning a man down for sex is a blow to his ego and self esteem. And as I stated above they want to feel desired and if you don't show that you desire them, someone else will. Please note that there are exceptions to this rule, but only a few. If you are sick and there is a legitimate reason you cannot engage in sex then by all means say no. In fact, a good man wouldn't ask during this time he would be trying to make you comfortable and nurse you back to health (but that is a blog post for another day). And just to be clear, headaches do not count. In fact, there is significant evidence that sex helps relieve headaches so take that excuse off the table. And you should NEVER, EVER withhold sex as a form of punishment, it's cruel and unusual but most importantly it just doesn't work. And worst case scenario if you withhold often enough it builds resentment and he may eventually get his needs met somewhere else. I'm just saying. 

Love & Blessings,

Pia Washington
Author of Attracting the Life you Want from the Boardroom to the Bedroom



Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and Love is Never Enough: Five Elements of Effective Relationships and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships. They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.ECIGroup.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

Don't block your blessings!

  

Whether your goal is to make more money, have a better relationship or a healthier body, it is important not to block your blessings. For example, many people pray for more money but continue to focus on the LACK of money and complain about being broke. We also have many clients who want to attract their soul mate but they are always talking about how "all the good ones are taken." This behavior is creating resistance. Once you set the goal, the most important step is to shift your thoughts and emotions into alignment with accomplishment of the goal. Focusing on how amazing you will feel once you have achieved the goal helps you to attract it into your life. The stronger, more consistent and happier those thoughts, the more you will allow in your life and the faster you will see results. The law of attraction creates a sensation like a river flowing; a powerful stream of inspiration and when you go with the flow you are allowing and it feels wonderful. When you resist you are going against the stream and it feels awful. Just remember, the worse you feel the more you are resisting; the better you feel the more you are allowing.

Feeling abundant allows you to receive abundance. Feeling loved and secure allows you to receive the life partner you’ve been searching for. Feeling healthy and vibrant allows you to start receiving the physical well-being you want. Start practicing feeling this way NOW! Spend a few minutes a day practicing feeling like you already have the things you want to attract. Pretend you’ve got tons of money in the bank. Pretend the man/woman of your dreams is holding you close. Pretend that you feel energetic and healthy. After a few days, perhaps a week, you’re going to feel a major shift taking place within you and the blessings will begin to flow!

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships. They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.ECIGroup.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

Life is about relationships

Whether you single or part of a couple, most people lack the knowledge and skills needed to create and sustain long term successful relationships.

Yet relationships are a fundamental part of all of our lives; starting with the relationship we have we ourselves, our romantic and family relationships and the relationships we have with friends, co-workers and business associates. Life is really ALL about relationships! Because relationships are woven into every aspect of our lives, it stands to reason that the more we increase our self awareness and improve our relationships skills and knowledge, the more fulfilled and happy our lives will be.

The one thing that all of our relationships have in common what WE bring to them in terms of our behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and level of awareness of both self and others. Unfortunately, most people do not recognize or understand the role that they play in the success or failure of their relationships.

To learn more about how you can attract and sustain successful relationships from the Boardroom to the Bedroom, purchase your tickets to see Pia speak at the upcoming conference A Woman's Voice of Leadership on October 11, 2014 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

A Womans Voice of Leadership

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships. They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.ECIGroup.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

Life is meant to be shared

Life is meant to be shared. This is why helping others have successful relationships is so important to us. The one thing we all have in common is the need for human interaction; not in a surface-level, superficial 'social media' way, but in a genuine, heart-to-heart authentic way. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are all great ways of "sharing" your important life events, however, status updates and clever posts are by no means a substitute for real interaction and intimacy.

Real relationships and intimacy requires that you share your deepest feelings, hurts, failures, doubts and fears and acknowledge your weaknesses. It means trusting others enough to take off the mask, be real and ask for help when needed. True authenticity requires courage and humility. It is risky, but we only grow by taking risks.  In strong, solid relationships we experience mutuality. Mutuality is the art of giving and receiving; it is depending on each other, building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities and helping each other.

Whether it is with your significant other or with friends, family members or co-workers, invest your time in building significant, authentic and intimate relationships in your life.

Love & Blessings,

Levett & Pia

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships. They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.ECIGroup.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

Wedded Bliss Wednesday - The Colemons #WBW

This couple is one the best examples of love and wedded bliss that we have the pleasure of calling friends. Rusty & Ann Colemon's relationship actually began in Kindergarten! They are a great couple that will celebrate 25 years of marriage on June 3rd. The Colemon's live in the suburbs of Los Angeles and have raised two beautiful, talented daughters. They credit the success of their marriage to their individual relationships with God and their decision that divorce was never an option. 

Rusty is a television director and has worked on many popular shows. He is also a very talented musician. Ann is a licensed insurance agent and a devoted wife and mother. Rusty and Ann are an example of a couple that was destined to be together. Please join me in wishing them many more years of wedded bliss!

Ralph and Susie Johnson - Wedded Bliss Wednesday

This week’s Wedded Bliss Wednesday couple is Ralph and Susie Johnson, dear friends and one of the couples featured in our book, Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages. Many years ago, one of Susie's co-workers said, “I know someone who likes you! It's Ralph Johnson of Earth, Wind and Fire.” Initially, Susie wasn’t interested because she already had a boyfriend. As time went by she noticed that he would come in to the bank every day. One day Ralph finally decided to talk to her, he broke the ice by asking “what is your sign” and then he asked for her number but she wouldn’t give it to him. She asked for his instead and finally called him a couple of weeks later. Over the course of the next two years, their relationship developed and deepened with such ease and comfort that Ralph realized she was the one and he asked for her hand for marriage on a trip to Hawaii.

Ralph is a musician, song writer, producer and author. He is a veteran member of the Grammy award winning group, Earth, Wind and Fire which has produced numerous Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum Albums. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and they have received multiple Grammys and countless image and lifetime achievement awards. Ralph is also an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and he holds an honorary PhD in the Arts from Columbia College. Susie is a Quality Assurance Administrator & Purchasing Agent who enjoys go-karting, collecting art, cooking and jewelry making. Ralph and Susie reside in Southern California and they have two adult sons John and Mark. The couple will celebrate their 35^th wedding anniversary in June 2014. Congrats Ralph and Susie, we wish you many more years of wedded bliss!

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships.

They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.Levettandpia.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

Wedded Bliss Wednesday - Celebrity Spotlight Couple - Ben & Jen

We absolutely LOVE Jennifer Garner, the star of the upcoming film Draft Day about our hometown team the Cleveland Browns!!! So we decided to kick-off our Wedded-Bliss Wednesday #WBW Blog with a salute to her and her hubby Ben Affleck as our celebrity spotlight couple. Not only was she recently quoted as saying great things about our birthplace; "I loved being in Cleveland. People are so real and so nice."; we also had the pleasure of meeting her on the set of the Daredevil movie and she was so kind and down to earth. So it's no surprise to us that her marriage to Ben Affleck has been able to stand the test of time as well as the Hollywood spotlight. An actress and film producer, Jennifer Garner was born in Houston, Texas. She is best known for her role as Sydney Bristow in the television series Alias, for which she won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild Award. Her film credits include Daredevil, 13 Going on 30, Juno, The Odd Life of Timothy Green and Dallas Buyer's Club just to name a few. When discussing how Ben Affleck saved her on the set of Daredevil she stated, "out of nowhere came this 6'4" red devil who just kind of puts his arms out and shouts 'I've got her!' I'm telling you, it was like 'I've got my own superhero.'"

Ben Affleck is an actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He gained recognition in the late 1990's when he won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Screenplay for Goodwill Hunting, which he co-wrote and co-starred with Matt Damon. He went on to star in many successful films such as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and Daredevil and is also a critically acclaimed director. Affleck won an award for Best Directorial Debut for Gone Baby Gone and he also directed and starred in The Town and Argo, which won him the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Director's Guild Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Picture. Ben is scheduled to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 2016 sequel to Man of Steel. During an interview in 2013, Affleck gushed over his wife saying that she was "the most beautiful woman out there" at the SAG awards.

Ben and Jen made their first public appearance as a couple in October 2004 at the Boston Red Sox's opening game of the World Series. On her 33rd birthday, Ben proposed to Jen with a 4.5 carat Harry Winston diamond and the two were married in a private ceremony in the Caribbean on June 29, 2005. They are proud parents of three children: daughters Violet Anne and Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, and son Samuel Garner Affleck.

Congratulations Ben and Jen! We wish you many more years of Wedded-Bliss!

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships.

They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.Levettandpia.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

 

14 Compelling Reasons to Use a Relationship Coach

We are REALLY enjoying our journey as husband and wife relationship coaches! The coaching relationship is unique and powerful, and really can help you find fulfillment in your life and relationships. Below are some important reasons to use a Relationship Coach, any ONE of which is compelling enough to get you started on your journey TODAY.

1. YOU VALUE RELATIONSHIPS HIGHLY
   You prioritize building fulfilling personal and professional relationships. You realize that your success and quality of life is directly connected to the quality of your relationships.
2. YOU ARE COMMITTED TO SUCCESS
   You are serious and intentional about having a fulfilling life partnership, family, business, and community.
3. YOU WANT RESULTS
   Working with a coach can move you farther and faster than you can on your own.
4. YOU ARE WILLING TO LEARN
   You realize that you don’t know what you don’t know, and your future success may depend upon access to new relationships skills and knowledge.
5. YOU ARE READY FOR ACTION
   Using a coach can be the most effective means of translating knowledge into practice. One of the most indispensable roles of a coach is to help you use what you already know to make effective choices and take the actions necessary to be successful.
6. YOU ARE OPEN TO MENTORING/SUPPORT
   A Relationship Coach helps you to use your relationships to evolve and develop relationship skills critical to your business success and personal fulfillment. The process of self-discovery, learning about relationships, and how to make successful relationship choices cannot be effectively self-taught or obtained from a book or tape.
7. YOU WANT FULFILLMENT
   You do not want to settle for less or risk preventable failure, and you are willing to give yourself the gift of the support and technology needed to be successful.
8. YOU WANT TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
   A Relationship Coach helps keep you honest with yourself, helps neutralize any tendency you may have to settle for less than you really want, is good for providing “reality checks” and being a sounding board.
9. YOU WANT TO BE PROACTIVE
   A Relationship Coach helps you solve problems while they are still small.
10. YOU WANT TO GO BEYOND YOUR LIMITS
    A Relationship Coach holds your highest vision for you beyond your fears and limitations, and helps you overcome your obstacles and challenges.
11. YOU WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
    A Relationship Coach helps you take responsibility for the quality of your relationships so that you can create them the way you want.
12. YOU WANT TO LIVE AUTHENTICALLY
    Today’s world is filled with challenges to finding and staying on your highest path, telling your truth, and making choices that are best for you. A Relationship Coach helps you identify and live the life you really want, and to be more of the person you really are and want to be.
13. YOU WANT BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE
    Your life is filled with opportunities and conflicting choices. You recognize the importance of creating and maintaining balance in relationships, including the ones you have with yourself and your higher power.
14. YOU WANT NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
    You recognize that a healthy relationship is growing and dynamic. One of the worst things that can happen is to take one another or the relationship for granted. Opening to new possibilities keeps a good relationship getting better with the passage of time. A Relationship Coach helps you to continually discover and implement new and more fulfilling possibilities for your life and relationships.

We are available for individual private coaching sessions OR sign-up for our SPRING 2014 Singles Group Coaching Session at a discounted rate before March 23rd.

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships.

They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them via phone 805-415-5359 or 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.Levettandpia.coachesconsole.com Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

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© Relationship Coaching Institute | All rights reserved | Used with permission

Don't Take Chances with Your Heart

Tired of Taking Chances with Your Heart?

Now you can improve your dating odds

Are you single and looking for love? Don’t spend another Valentine’s Day alone or waste another day on someone who is not right for you. If you are tired of settling for less than you really want, or find yourself constantly dating all the wrong types, there IS hope. Your search to finding that special someone does not have to be frustrating and time consuming. We are here to help!

As relationship coaches, we have helped many singles who have struggled with dating and relationships. We are passionate about teaching singles about what works and what doesn’t work for dating and finding lasting love.  Our Conscious Dating Program provides a map to help you find your true love, so you go where you are meant to be. In Conscious Dating, you will also discover how to avoid the many pitfalls and traps that can hold you back on your journey.

We are so convinced that our program will help transform your life and find the happiness you dream about that we are offering a FREE Singles Webinar on Wednesday, February 26, 2014.

Our Singles Webinar is right for you if you...

       Are single and seeking the love of your life

       Feel like there isn’t anyone out there for you

       You have experienced failed relationships in the past

       You're a bit confused about dating

       Finding the right partner seems impossible

If you are serious about finding love and improving your dating odds, stop taking chances with your heart and sign up for our FREE Singles Webinar Conscious Dating® at: http://levettandpia.coachesconsole.com/

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships.

They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them at 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com or Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet

 

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Secrets to a Happy Marriage

This post is part of the Happy Wives Club Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with hundreds of inspiring bloggers. To learn more and join us, click here! 

Our Secret to a Happy Marriage

My husband Levett and I are junior high school sweethearts. In May 2013 we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and we couldn't be happier. If you ask my husband the secret to our happy marriage, he would say our secret is that we never gave up on the same day! While this may seem funny at first, one of the main elements of successful marriages is that both parties must committed to making it work.

In 2010, we went on our own quest to find the secrets to a happy marriage. In co-authoring the book Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages we interviewed married couples with happy, respectful and nurturing long-term relationships. As a result, we gained valuable insight from couples with over 500 years of combined marriage experience. All of them confirmed that happy marriages are no accident; they do not just happen. Successful marriages take hard work and the understanding that love is never enough. While love is a powerful emotion that is vital to any relationship, love alone is not enough to sustain a long term, happy marriage. There are five common themes among all of the couples interviewed that we believe are essential to successful marriages.

1) Trust
For our marriage, trust is the foundation upon which our relationship was built. We learned to be  comfortable being open about our feelings, expectations, faults, failures and fears. At the end of the day, trust is about being vulnerable.

"Mutual trust and respect is the key to our success."Be a man or woman of your word." - Randy and Dotty Arnwine

" We trust each other enough that we tell each other anything and not have to worry about a negative response." - Ralph and Susie Johnson

2) Commitment
Commitment to one another, commitment to the marriage and commitment to God were common themes among the couples interviewed regardless of their spiritual background or religion. All of the couples stated that divorce was not an option and they were willing to do the work necessary to make the marriage work.

"Marriage is a continuum, it is a journey. A good part of our success can be attributed to the fact that God has allowed us to enjoy the journey. The secret to a successful marriage is endurance." -Andrew and Deanna Thomas

"Most issues can be worked out. Besides that, the grass is not always greener...sometimes it is just a bunch of weeds!" -Johnny and Lori Rondo

3) Communication
Effective communication is another important element to happy marriages. Communication should be a dialogue that involves listening as much or more than talking. God gave us two ears and one mouth for that very reason. It is also important to always be respectful and edifying when communicating with your partner. If you are constantly complaining about partners faults and shortcomings that is what you will manifest in your marriage.

"Communication is critical. It is important to learn how to discuss issues, but it is equally important to learn how to listen." - Eric and Tracy Seaberry

"We learned to disagree respectfully. We also set ground rules such as no cursing at one another, no personal attacks and no talking over the other person. -Lloyd and Iyona Hilton

 

4) Accountability
Have you ever noticed that when you point your finger there are three fingers pointing back at you. Successful couples understand the importance of taking accountability for their own actions. We are comfortable taking an introspective look at ourselves in the mirror and asking how can I be a better person? and recognize that we cannot change anyone other than ourselves.  

"A relationship is only as good as the sum of its parts-if I work on improving, developing and loving myself, my relationship has to get stronger." -Frank and Bunny Wilson

"You are what you were when. Once you recognize that there are differences you have to learn to appreciate those differences, laugh at them and get past them." -Steve and Andrea Sims

5) Intimacy

True, soul-bearing intimacy is tougher than most love songs suggest but is essential for happy marriages. It involves being able to express your deepest thoughts dreams, desires and fantasies without fear of rejection or conflict. It describes a closeness and an involved, warm, loving personal relationship that is characterized by knowledge and understanding. There is no room for pride or ego. You are completely vulnerable with one another and there is no need to be guarded because you know no matter what happens, that person has got your back.

"We are so tight that if anyone tried to get in the middle of us they would suffocate." -Warryn and Sandra Campbell

"Everything I breathe is for my family." - Rusty and Ann Colemon

At the end of the day, the secret to our happy marriage is that we recognize that Love alone is never enough. Happy marriages take trust, commitment, accountability, communication as well intimacy and yes it helps if you never give up on the same day!

Levett and Pia Washington are relationship experts, co-authors of Shades of Love: Portraits of Successful Marriages and coaches dedicated to helping people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers and relationships.

They are members of the Relationship Coaching Institute and their vision is to inspire others to maximize their potential by living an authentic life to experience true love and happiness regardless of their background, sexual orientation or lifestyle choices. Their signature program The L.O.V.E. Institute teaches clients how to LOVE by “Living Our Values Every-day.” Together since the age of 13, the husband and wife coaching team offers executive and relationship coaching services and hosts conferences, workshops and seminars for couples and singles and provide valuable insight from both the male and female perspectives. For more information, contact them at phone 818-835-2ECI, email strongrelationships@gmail.com website www.piawashington.relationshipcoach.org Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/piavet