Companionship Inventory

It took a full three months on my LDS mission to experience my first real companionship inventory. For those of you who are not familiar with this terminology, a companionship inventory occurs when two missionaries discuss the positives, negatives, strengths and weaknesses of how the communication and relationship in the companionship is developing. Previous to this first 'real' inventory I had only asked my companion if he was good, to which he generally replied 'yeah' and we would go on our merry way. Guys are so easy to get along with sometimes. It wasn't until I actually sat down with a companion and hashed out everything going on that I saw the immense value that these discussions can have. Over the rest of the time on the mission I enjoyed these inventories to take stock of what was going on. I did hear some unusual and once or twice petty things that annoyed companions about me, but every time I received this information I was grateful to know so that I could work on it and become better. In the cases that I heard petty things, I would state my case and resolve the issue.

There are a number of reasons why I liked having this inventory once a week.
1) It only was once a week for a few minutes
2) Anything that upset me during the week allowed me to wait until we talked and usually by then it wasn't that big of a deal
3) I learned a lot about how I am perceived
4) I learned a lot about how other people perceived themselves
5) I learned to say encouraging things that I recognized as great qualities in others
6) I learned how to work well with people from other cultures
There are many great things that one can learn from similar experiences. This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are some of the great lessons I learned.

I'm mentioning this because my sister Rachel recently told me how she and her fiancee have a relationship inventory on a regular basis. Many good things have come from this because of the regularity and frankness with which they can discuss their concerns. I think this is a wonderful idea. When you can talk openly, espousing the spirit of love with someone who you care about, great things will happen. Most good relationships will need great communication to be successful. This is a necessary skill that will help two people grow closer, get to know each other better, and sort out any misunderstandings. It can be just as hard to be open with someone as it is to hear what someone thinks about you, but it is worth it. A relationship inventory done correctly is a great tool for any two people serious about making a relationship successful.