“ The Lord places these various traits in your life , not to defeat you , but to help you strengthen each other and your marriage for the challenges ahead .”
visiting StrongFamilies . com / LOGB , but here is a quick introduction to each animal .
Lions — Lions like to take charge . They ’ re assertive . They are often the boss ... or at least think they are . Lions are highly motivated , quick at making decisions , and quite direct in their responses . They don ’ t like to stop . There ’ s no such thing as a problem to a Lion . Just solutions . And chances are , a Lion will be the one coming up with those solutions .
Otters — Otters are basically just parties waiting to happen . They know thousands of people , even if they can ’ t remember everyone ’ s name . Otters are great at starting things ... but not always so great at finishing them . Otters are great encouragers , and they ’ re skilled at motivating others . They are also spontaneous , outside-the-box thinkers , and they often believe rules and directions are more suggestions than instructions .
“ The Lord places these various traits in your life , not to defeat you , but to help you strengthen each other and your marriage for the challenges ahead .”
Golden Retrievers — Golden Retrievers are loyal , caring , sensitive , and compassionate . They don ’ t care only about the task ahead but also about the people involved in the process . While it can be hard for Golden Retrievers to say no — they really don ’ t want to let anyone down — they sure are great at saying yes .
Beavers — Beavers are detailed and precise .
They are God ’ s organized , by-the-book architects . Beavers are natural problem solvers . They catch the little mistakes no one else seems to see . They ’ re great at following through and completing complex tasks . They follow the rules and are world-class at asking questions .
Now let ’ s see how these personality types might apply to decision-making in marriage . Can you make every decision quickly ? Sure , you can . But should you ? No , not if you want them to be good decisions .
So what can you do to match your speeds so that you make better decisions together ? Start by inviting your spouse in .
If you ’ re a Lion or an Otter , this means slowing down to ask what potential pitfalls your spouse sees with a decision . ( It ’ s possible you may need to ask twice before your spouse truly agrees to share .) And don ’ t get defensive if there are some problems with your decision . Take feedback seriously . Ask and then listen — don ’ t just react . For “ idea people ,” hearing our spouse talk about problems with our brilliant idea can feel like they are poking holes in our balloon . But what if their insight will help us make the idea better and ensure that our team will succeed ? What if it will keep us from experiencing pain or bigger problems down the road ? Farsighted Beavers and Golden Retrievers are great at anticipating those sorts of things . And we Lions and Otters miss out when we don ’ t ask them to tell us what they see — and then adjust our decisions to take their observations into account .
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