This has been frequently requested of me ever since my earlier post about ‘The Six Month Conversation’ resonated with so many people. This follow up is about the framework Alexis and I devised with hopes of guiding our life journey together independently and as a couple. I know this post is arriving several years late, after tons of requests, so thanks everybody for your patience!
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As we navigated the early years of our relationship, Alexis and I were intentional in our efforts to determine what we felt to be most important to us. We wanted to understand this not only as a snapshot to this earlier period of ours but to also encapsulate what would continue to be foundational well into the future. This came together a few months prior to our wedding, and we lovingly refer to them as our Six Pillars.
These Six Pillars now form the common language for all of our discussions as we chart our way through life. They also serve to frame our ongoing semi-annual relationship reviews, where we think of them like buckets to fill in each cycle, prioritized accordingly to what is on the horizon, both individually and together. Edit: I also see that these Pillars are leveraged as categories for my blog!
Now without further ado, here they are in original unpolished form:
Safety & Security - to feel secure in our (best ever!!) relationship and home.
Financial Freedom - to have no reservations living the life we want where we can enjoy food & drinks, help others, and travel.
Worldly Wisdom - to have a true global perspective (i.e. empathy, communication), built upon a basis of cultural understanding and experienced immersion.
Holistic Fitness - to be confident in and continue the pursuit of excellence in our physical conditions and practices.
Self-Mastery - to be confident in and continue the pursuit of excellence in our mental and spiritual conditions and practices.
Unconditional Relationships - to establish and maintain relationships without judgement, which are based on mutual respect and support.
Alexis and I have been pleasantly surprised at how these have held up against the test of time and have kept the Pillars as categories in their original form. That said, the shape and meaning of each Pillar continue to evolve from the experiences and perspectives we earn with each day lived.
The simplicity and clarity of this framework are a gift we cherish. It has helped us craft and experience life in a way that is special for us, and has enabled us to directly and indirectly help people who are important to us. So it is my hope that in reading this, some nugget resonates, helps you re-center, and keeps you on path to make the most of all that you experience.
Sincerely,
Joshua
Photo from around the time Alexis and I formulated our Six Pillars.