Improve Yourself, Improve Your Relationships

While on vacation in Italy, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott visited Michelangelo’s famous statue of King David. So did thousands of other people that day. To escape the crowds, the Parrotts explored a nearby hall called “Hall of the Prisoners.” On display were several unfinished statues that Michelangelo labelled “The Captives.” The incomplete works were emblematic of mankind’s struggle to feel integrated with God, with ourselves, and with the people around us.

Our relationships can only be as healthy as we are.

On Focus on the Family with Jim Daly “Improve Yourself, Improve Your Relationships,” I’m talking with the Parrotts about how we can create stronger relationships by growing in three areas of self-discovery:

• Profound Significance: True health is rooted in the knowledge that you are profoundly significant in the eyes of God. This is a deeper understanding than intellectual awareness. You experience it. As Saint Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”
• Unswerving Authenticity: Choosing not to be true to yourself means choosing to be fake to others. Authenticity is different than perfection. It’s about integrity with who God has designed you to be rather than conforming to everyone else’s expectations.
• Self-Giving Love: Without love, people focus on themselves instead of others.

The first one is about relating to God. The second is about relating to yourself. The third is about relating to everybody else.

There’s much more to say, and you can hear our full conversation on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Les and Leslie have been friends of Focus on the Family for many years. They’ve been married since 1984 and have two sons. Les is a clinical psychologist, and Leslie is a marriage and family therapist. They are popular conference speakers, relationship experts, and best-selling authors.

Their book Healthy Me, Healthy Us: Your Relationships Are Only as Strong as You Are conveys personal stories, research, and Scripture that will help you better understand how you can develop a strong foundation for your relationship by focusing on personal areas of growth.