How do you define marriage? What can you do to fix the issues in your marriage effectively? How can you reignite the joy and happiness in your marriage? In this podcast episode, Billy and Brandy Eldridge speak with Peter Lynn and Tod Jacobs about their book, Not A Partnership, and their ground-breaking perspective on marriage. Meet Peter Lynn and Todd Jacobs Tod Jacobs is Director of the David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage in Jerusalem, which he co-founded in 2005. Prior to his current role in teaching and counseling his students and alumni, he enjoyed a distinguished career on Wall Street as one of the leading authorities on the telecommunications industry globally. As a managing director at JP Morgan and before that a partner at Sanford C. Bernstein and Company, Tod acted as a frequent commentator on network television and in leading newspapers and magazines, and testified several times before the U.S. Congress as an expert on telecom and media issues. His credits in print and broadcast journalism, where he worked prior to Wall Street, include nominations for both the Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism and the Emmy Award. Tod lives in Jerusalem with his family. Peter Lynn has served as Dean of Students at the David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage since its inception. An MA in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania, Peter lectures at Touro College in Jerusalem. He is also Founder and Director of the Greatness Within Seminars, where he helps empower individuals and organizations through the application of Positive Psychology. An accomplished athlete and Ironman finisher, Peter was captain of the US World Duathlon Team. Peter lives in Jerusalem with his family. Visit their website and connect on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. In This Podcast Summary * The path that led to ‘Not A Partnership’ * Defining marriage * Taking responsibility for fixing the issues yourself * The two-phase formation of reality * The four pillars of giving * Going from despair and hopelessness to joy and happiness The path that led to ‘Not A Partnership’ You’ll find Tod and Peter at The Dr. David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage in Jerusalem, established in 2005, where they work with accomplished students in their 20s and 30s from a variety of backgrounds, including medicine, finance, consulting, social work, and acting, but generally with little to no involvement with or training in religion. One thing that Tod and Peter find with their students is that regardless of how accomplished and knowledgeable they are, they are sadly unprepared for building their families, a part of their lives they deem the most important. When entering into a new career, people generally prepare for years, get relevant education, and have an idea of what succeeding in that career would look like for them. They know how to go for the job, they know the review process, and they know how to measure progress or lack thereof. Conversely, looking at marriage, people don’t approach it in that same way by doing research, preparing, getting education and training, understanding the review process, and having a clear picture of a successful spouse or a successful marriage. Once they realized the potential of looking at marriage similarly to how people look at careers, Peter and Tod began spending more time studying within the field of marital education.