Tag: Marriage counseling for men

  • (Part 3) Failing Marriage: 3 Things To Avoid

    (Part 3) Failing Marriage: 3 Things To Avoid

    This is part 3 of a 3-part series called “Failing Marriage: 3 Things To Avoid” (Click HERE to read part 2). I’m about to share my personal experience. I hope you can learn from my mistakes and be all the wiser!

    Failing Marriage: 3 Things To Avoid If You Want To Turn It Around

    1. Don’t use triggers to determine your behaviors, choices, or actions.
    2. Don’t assume sacrifices and loyalty will win a woman’s heart (know how to value your differences instead).
    3. Avoid holding out for her if she’s said, “I’m done”.

    I know all too well what it’s like to love a woman who doesn’t want to be with you.

    I also know what it’s like to love a woman who used to love you but no longer does.

    In my early days, I used logic to try to attract a girl who clearly didn’t love me.

    I believed that if I saved myself for her by not dating anyone else, she would end things with her boyfriend.

    In my imagined fairytale, she would become my dream wife by falling in love with my devotion and abstinence from other women.

    I demonstrated these traits to her by not dating any other girls for YEARS while she was dating other guys and seemingly not interested in me.

    Despite her full knowledge of my interest, my years of availability for her never seduced her. 

    Even after my divorce, I waited a few years to date.

    My reason was to work on my loneliness without feminine support and to grieve the loss of my marriage.

    But if I’m honest, I also hoped my wife would come running back and I would still be available for her.

    Over the last few years of doing men’s work, I’ve come to terms with a startling reality.

    Women rarely are reattracted to men who hold out for her after she’s said, “I’m done”. 

    I’ve seen more of my clients save their marriage by divorcing her and moving on than by waiting around like a loyal puppy.

    I’ve even seen this in my dating life.

    Once you have a girlfriend, two more women almost always start chasing you.

    When you’re solo with no girlfriend, you tend to go unnoticed by the ladies.

    Being The Kind Of Man Women Chase 

    When we see women pursue a man who appears to be solo, it’s usually because he’s confidently leading a life of FREEDOM.

    He’s doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants.

    He doesn’t hold back because of fear.

    He pushes the limits of what he can create in this life where other people would hesitate.

    These are the guys we see solo sail the Pacific, get in a position of leadership or stand for a cause while everyone else plays it safe.

    The lesson is clear.

    Sitting at home waiting for our runaway wife to come back NEVER works.

    Waiting is like getting our boat stuck on a sand bar.

    She wants to be on a boat that’s going somewhere. 

    Being a martyr by enduring years without sex, weeks without meaningful conversation, or a job we hate is like sinking our boat in the sand

    Being The Man Your Wife Would Cheat With

    It goes without saying.

    When a woman does have an affair, it’s never the man paying her bills or sharing her bed who she cheats with.

    Yet what do we men tend to do when she pulls back and we want intimacy?

    We try to spend MORE time with her, share MORE experiences with her, and talk about the relationship MORE with her.

    Less is more.

    Being the kind of man she would cheat with means we are living our own life.

    In order to be this kind of man, we must STOP seeing her moods or affection as having any meaning about our value, integrity, or purpose.

    Thinking we need her permission to live our life puts our balls in her purse and makes it hard for her to respect us. 

    We need to formulate our own script we operate by that makes us want to get out of bed every day and enjoy living.

    Avoiding her emotions or stonewalling doesn’t count as getting out and living our own life.

    I will help you clarify a new meaning for your purpose as a man in my masculine confidence framework.

    Being a MAN is your inherent role on this earth.

    Yet what that means has become hazy in our modern times.

    In the course, we will help you get back to the primal roots of what it means to be masculine and what it means to be feminine.

    The magic of attraction between masculine and feminine has existed for all of eternity.

    You can tap into this magic by learning how to stay in your own pole (and let her be in hers).

    Book a Get Grounded Now consultation to learn more!

    Your marriage could very well depend on it.

    Much love brother,

    Garrett Prettyman

  • (Part 1) Failing Marriage: 3 Things To Avoid

    (Part 1) Failing Marriage: 3 Things To Avoid

    This is part 1 in a 3-part series. Fair warning. This might be triggering to read. Trust me when I say triggers need to be faced for relationships to improve. Keep reading to see how a man named Luke learned the hard way that triggers are not a guide for recovering a failing marriage. Also, notice how often Luke changes his mind as he’s met with new advice or his wife’s reactions. If you want to stop the downward spiral towards divorce, don’t be a “Luke”  

    Luke’s Wife Could Sense His Indecisiveness

    3 Days ago.

    That’s when Luke’s wife, Hailey, said the dreaded words, “I want a divorce”.

    Luke’s world was turned upside down.

    He knew their marriage had issues but he was shocked she would go so far as to divorce him.

    Luke’s emotions overwhelmed him and he couldn’t keep the tears back.

    He cried, begged, and pleaded for her to change her mind.

    Nothing Luke said could sway Hailey’s decision.

    Determined to keep the marriage together, Luke turned to Reddit for advice.

    “If she wants divorce let her figure out the divorce paperwork on her own” several men advised.

    Another man said, “If she wants to move out, let her do it herself”.

    Luke followed this advice and told Hailey she was all on her own if she wanted to leave him.

    Hearing this upset Hailey, but she resolved to move forward with divorce regardless.

    A few days later, Luke read a free E-book about how to stop divorce.

    The E-book strongly recommended showing leadership by taking charge of the divorce process.

    The E-book claimed many women reconsider their desire for divorce when they witness their partner taking on a leadership role and meeting their needs.

    Luke took this advice to heart and changed his approach towards divorce. 

    Luke told Hailey, “I’ve got moving vans and a storage unit rented, and will help you figure out the divorce paperwork”.

    Hailey let out a huge sigh of relief.

    With teary eyes, she said, “Thank you so much, Luke, that means a lot to me”.  

    Over the next few days, Luke stayed true to his word and helped Hailey pack her things and categorize their assets.

    Luke Second-Guessed Himself

    Luke could hardly sleep at night with his intense grief gnawing at his gut.

    He loved Hailey dearly and helping her with the divorce process was tearing him up.

    Luke turned to YouTube in the wee hours of the morning seeking advice on how he could save his marriage.

    A popular influencer said something that resonated with him.

    The influencer said, “A healthy relationship needs honest and vulnerable communication to grow deeper”.

    This jumped out to Luke.

    Over the years, Hailey had many times said, “I want to know what you’re feeling, why won’t you open up to me?”

    Hailey also complained regularly about his aversion to conflict.

    The next YouTube video Luke watched said, “The strength she craves is proven by your ability to stand up to her and set boundaries.”

    Luke realized he was bulldozing his own feelings by helping Hailey with the divorce.

    What do you think Luke did?

    You guessed it, he once again changed his approach.

    The very next day, he told Hailey, “I’m setting a boundary that I can’t help you with this divorce.”

    Hailey’s eyes filled with frustration and she said, “This is why I’m divorceing you! I never know where you stand because you’re always changing your position!”

    Luke replied, “No I don’t! You always make poor choices that put you in situations I don’t want any part of!”

    Luke defended himself by explaining he was trying to be open with his feelings and stand up for himself like she had always wanted him to.

    Hailey got up and said, “I’m staying at my friend’s house tonight. We’re done”.

    How Luke Should Have Responded To His Failing Marriage

    Avoid changing your mind because of a triggering, painful feeling.

    Urgency and desperation are never good reasons to make big decisions, especially in a failing marriage.

    Trust me when I say it’s better to confidently make the wrong choice and follow through than to keep changing our minds in search of the right choice.

    Luke felt uncertain about how to respond to Hailey because he was using her responses to validate if his choices were correct.

    He also didn’t know how to process grief on his own.

    Luke needed to establish a clear personal code that he could follow confidently, regardless of Hailey’s choices.

    Females are more tuned into our state of self-confidence than they are to the logic supporting our decisions.

    If our behaviors are in flux each time a new perspective emerges, we demonstrate our intentions can be manipulated.

    During separation or divorce, the need for consistency is irreplaceable.

    Resist following every new bit of advice you hear and stick to your own code of conduct!

    It’s okay to change our minds when we do it slowly and deliberately, not because we feel rushed or triggered.

    How You Can Gain Clear, Decisive Thinking In A Failing Marriage

    In my masculine confidence framework, I teach you how to sort preferences from values so you can hold yourself to a personal code no matter what.

    Many men confuse stubbornness with confidence and wonder why they frustrate their wife when they try to hold their ground.

    I will show you how to respond to your wife in a way that makes YOU feel good and opens her heart towards you.

    Fill out a Get Grounded Now application so we can talk!

    I can’t spoon-feed confidence to you, but you can show up to our call with a commitment to positive change as your first step to saving your failing marriage.

    Much love brother,

    Garrett Prettyman

  • I’m A Good Guy, Why Doesn’t My Wife Want Me?

    I’m A Good Guy, Why Doesn’t My Wife Want Me?

    This article is for the “good” husband who wants to turn his marriage around. I’ll introduce you to a former client and share how he saved his marriage. Many men have thought, I’m a good guy, why doesn’t my wife want me? But few have realized being “good” isn’t what attracts her.

    YouTube player
    I’m A Good Guy, Why Doesn’t My Wife Want Me??

    If you value family, hard work, integrity, being a handyman, honesty, or loyalty then we’re cut from the same cloth. 

    If you lean towards being easy-going, non-confrontational, conflict-avoidant, or self-sacrificing, then we’re pretty much blood brothers. 

    “Camp Good Guy” – Where Wives Exit Relationships

    I’m a seasoned veteran at “Camp Good Guy”.

    We men chose this camp, thinking being a good guy is desirable.

    Perhaps we had a dad who was brute towards our mom or we were repulsed by how assholes treat women.

    Whatever the case, we decided to never become like THOSE men.

    I’ve lived at “Camp Good Guy” long enough to tell you how life goes in this camp. 

    We usually marry a woman who’s the opposite of us. 

    We pour our soul into creating a life for her we never had.

    Over time, we learn to tiptoe around her sensitivities and suppress our opinions to avoid conflict. 

    We secretly compare what we provide to how our wife acts towards us and feel ripped off that we aren’t getting the respect, love, or affection we deserve from her. 

    At “Camp Good Guy”, men’s wives are lining up to leave the relationship.

    These soon-to-be ex-husbands are hearing complaints like:

    • You don’t stand up for me
    • I don’t feel supported
    • I don’t feel an emotional connection with you
    • I love you but I don’t feel in love with you
    • You make me feel stupid and invalidate my feelings

    How A Man Moved Out Of “Camp Good Guy” And Saved His Marriage

    Meet Gavin. 

    Gavin is a client who joined the Vital Formula To Masculine Confidence Course a year and a half ago. 

    Gavin’s marriage was on the verge of falling apart

    He was terrified to breathe, fearing the axe would fall and his wife would file for divorce.

    Just like you and I, Gavin was thinking, “I’m a good guy, why doesn’t my wife want me?”

    Through the course, Gavin learned to drop his unspoken expectations and grievances toward his wife.

    He learned how to be secure in himself, how to live his values, have a spine, and be direct while still showing presence and care for his wife’s feelings. 

    This new version 2.0 of Gavin left his wife with a choice. 

    She could choose to walk away from an amazing man or she could join him in a more mature way of interacting. 

    She chose to surrender to his leadership and match his level of love and respect.

    Over the last year and a half, Gavin’s marriage has been the most intimate, connected, respectful, and loving it has ever been. 

    Just like you, Gavin read a similar email about the Vital Formula To Masculine Confidence Course

    Gavin decided to get off the fence and join. 

    His testimony today is that he would have lost his marriage if he hadn’t joined our course. 

    I encourage you to check out the course or book a Get Grounded Now Call so you can gain the benefits Gavin did.

    I promise you’ll have no regrets. 

    You’ll find our groups are filled with recovering “good guys”.

    At some point, each of us has thought, “I’m a good guy, why doesn’t my wife want me?”

    We’re in the trenches together learning to let go of our win-lose mindsets and give from abundance, not needy expectations.

    We’re ready to welcome you into the tribe with open arms.

    Be strong brother,

    Garrett Prettyman