The committed relationship is the perfect vehicle for accessing life's greatest gifts. Deep pleasure, profound intimacy, personal fulfillment, and creative expression are some of the many gifts that the committed relationship is capable of providing. But for most couples these possibilities fail to materialize. Instead, partners silently slip into habits of interaction, which choke off their ability to access their immense potential. In
Going All The Way
, authors Brian and Marcia Gleason offer a model of relationship called the "Exceptional Marriage". Safety and security are the trademarks of a passable marriage. The Gleason's suggest a better option. An exceptional marriage creates space for partners to come alive. Such a relationship involves a radical commitment to support each other's truth and greatness. In their broader vision of a committed relationship the Gleason's encourage and invite couples to claim their human potential through unlocking their full range of sincere and transformative emotions. In most marriages, these responses are hidden, avoiding precisely those areas where the greatest potential for growth and fulfillment exist. According to the Gleason's, a relationship is a living experience which allows couples to move between needs for security and connection and the human impulses toward adventure and creativity. By letting go of their "control patterns" partners can free up their capacity to laugh, cry, shout, tremble and soar together and individually.
is a sincere invitation for couples to claim their emotional birthright and to have a truly Exceptional Marriage.