The Relationships We Stop Choosing with guest Melissa Nanavati

There is something powerful that happens when we stop looking at relationships as something we “have” and begin looking at them as something we actively choose, nurture, and participate in every single day. In this episode of The Courage Coalition, I sat down with relationship coach and TEDx speaker Melissa Nanavati to have one of those conversations I believe we need to be having more often. Not just about love, but about connection, intimacy, communication, and the stories we carry into our relationships without even realizing it. 

What struck me most during our conversation was this idea that so many couples are not actually falling out of love they are falling out of intentionality. We become busy. We become tired. We become parents, business owners, caregivers, and problem-solvers. Somewhere in the middle of surviving life, we stop seeing the human sitting across from us. We stop asking questions. We stop holding eye contact. We stop allowing space for curiosity and instead begin creating stories in our heads about what someone else’s silence, expression, or reaction must mean. And the truth is, so much friction in relationships is not actually about the issue itself it’s about the meaning we attach to it. That hit me deeply because how often in life are we reacting not to reality, but to the story we’ve created around reality? 

We also talked about something I think many women especially need permission to hear: space is healthy. Time alone is healthy. Wanting moments to reconnect to yourself does not mean you love your partner less. In fact, Melissa shared the neuroscience behind why absence and intentional space actually increase connection, desire, and appreciation. That conversation led us into something even deeper arousal, not just sexually, but emotionally and spiritually. The feeling of being alive. The feeling of excitement, curiosity, novelty, and presence. 

One of the greatest reminders from this conversation was that courage in relationships is not the absence of fear or discomfort. Courage is being willing to have the conversation anyway. To say, “This is the story I’m telling myself.” To ask for what you need. To sit down instead of running. To hold hands instead of building walls. To choose connection instead of assumption. And maybe most importantly, to remember that the person sitting across from you is not your enemy — they are your teammate. In a world teaching us to disconnect faster than ever, maybe the most courageous thing we can do is stay open long enough to truly see each other again. 

Find out more about Melissa Nanavati here: https://melissananavati.com/

Melissa's BRAVE framework here: https://melissananavati.com/bravescripts

Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/

To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money

Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org  Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care.

Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life. 

Until next time, keep shining bright!

- Corree