My Fixer-Upper

During my years in graduate school, I was fortunate enough to spend the summers at my parents’ vacation home on the Chester River near Chestertown, MD.  During the week I was there by myself. I cut the grass and did a few chores but I had a lot of free time, too.  We had a sailboat called the O’Day Rhodes 19 that I sailed almost every day. After about 4 years I wanted to sell her.  She sailed beautifully but she required a lot of maintenance and I was hoping we could acquire a self-bailing all-Fiberglas boat that would require less care. Of course, I needed to sell the boat we had before we could buy another one.

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It was the first time I had really looked critically at this boat of mine and I realized that she needed a lot of work before I could put her on the market.  I hauled her out of the water and took on the task of restoration as a quick summer project that I didn’t expect would take too long.

Unfortunately, every time I restored one part of the boat I became acutely aware of the parts that didn’t look as good.  At one point, I decided to remove all of the mahogany combing and floorboards so that I could sand and varnish them.  Once they were removed,  I realized I needed to replace the mast step (a huge piece of hardwood that supports the weight of the 28’ mast).  This was a big messy job. During some heavy, noisy sanding, wearing a dust mask and sweating in the hot sun, I would think, “What was I thinking taking this on?  I’ll be here for months!”

In the end, however, the boat really sparkled.  We purchased her used and she had never looked this good in all the years we had owned her. It was ironic that someone else, not me, would be the beneficiary of my hard labor.  I couldn’t stop admiring my handiwork and thinking of the price I would now be able to get for her.

Then a funny thing happened.  I fell in love again.  I couldn’t bear to part with this boat into which I had put so much time and care. I took her off the market after 24 hours and sailed her with a greater sense of appreciation and love for the next four years.

That’s the way it is with boats. If you put in the work required to maintain them, you end up with a thing of beauty that you fall in love with again and again.  If you neglect even the finest yacht, it eventually looks like hell.

That’s the way it is with relationships, too. I never thought I could love my wife more now than I did 27 years ago but I do. I believe that my increased appreciation for her is a result of the work we put into maintaining our partnership and keeping it great over the years.

You may feel that you’ve worked very hard on your relationship but despite your best efforts you aren’t at a place that is fulfilling with your partner. To you, I say, “Don’t give up. Until now, you may not have had the best tools.”

If you want to fall in love again and create a relationship that will continue to reward you as long as you live, treat yourself to the next Powerful Partnerships^tm 8-week teleseminar.  The efforts you put into practicing what you learn will really pay off.  I guarantee it.

The next teleseminar starts on September 16^th and there is a substantial discount for early registration.   CLICK HERE to find out more.

Thanks,

-Jim

Jim fishing from the bow of his Rhodes 19 in 1975. Long sideburns were required back then.

P.S. If you haven’t heard my new song, Nourish Your Mind, yet, CLICK HERE.