Are You in the Driver’s Seat?
Let’s look at “driving in a car” as a metaphor for how individuals live their lives.
It’s important to be an effective and careful driver. When you are driving, you must have your hands securely on the steering...
There's no such thing as "a little nasty."
Yep, it’s like the old cliché: you can’t be “a little pregnant.”
I wish I could tell you it’s okay to let loose once in a while, be a little mean or nasty, and just say what you’re thinking or feeling....
There's good news about stress. Check it out now
I recently learned about the upside of stress from watching Kelly McGonigal's TedTalk. I found it interesting to look at stress from another lens – instead of seeing stress as bad, we need to make it our friend.
McGonigal says that there's a...
Don't be so focused on what you're saying that you ignore me
When you're concentrating on making your point, defending yourself, winning an interaction, or being right, you're probably not noticing me (the other person). I might be getting upset, my feelings could be hurt, or maybe I'm bored or just tuned...
Quick Tip: What to do when stuck in a rough patch....
When you’re in the middle of an argument or a tense time in your relationship, try to take a step back and think of how the other person might be feeling at that moment.
It may sound counterintuitive, but if you can, remind yourself that...
What’s all this talk about kindness?
Kindness builds trust and creates a safety net for all types of relationships.
Behaving kindly describes who we must be in our relationships.
It includes:
- how we treat each other
- how we speak to each...
Want a Better Relationship? Shift Your Thinking
When you approach someone who is important to you from an “I want to get along with you” perspective, rather than an “I should get along with you” or “I need to get along with you” perspective, you have a better...
Don't Ignore What's Happening... State the Obvious
It’s time to state the obvious.
When you’re in the middle of a chaotic or difficult situation, such as an escalating argument, a new stressful job, the holidays or a health crisis, do you talk about it?
I’m not referring to a...
“I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything.”
Has anyone ever said that to you? Worse yet, have you used that reasoning as an excuse for not having an important conversation?
As adults, we should all know how to have most conversations, even the tough ones. Yet, we often have trouble...