Years ago my father did not speak to me for six months. When our oldest daughter, Kelly was in jail (see the book, Love Her As She Is) she asked for bail money. After we said no, she did not speak to us for many months. When our youngest daughter told us about her diagnosis […]
This summary of John Gottman’s book, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, highlights how his research can improve your relationship.
Consider that it has been estimated that up to 90% of some people’s self-talk is negative.
Nancy Loraas, a Calgary-based executive, leadership, and communication coach, sent me a request to fill in a communications questionnaire. As I was filling it in I began to think, “My answers might be helpful to my readers; those interested in effective communication skills.” Consequently, I am sharing Nancy’s questions and my answers. Nancy’s Communication Skills […]
Gult, shame and resentment needlessly plagues many people.
Invite and negotiate the household workload.
A few years ago, I organized a national Canadian Mother’s Day writing contest called WOW MOM: Honoring Resilient Mothers. Contestants wrote a tribute to a mom. Five objective readers decided the top winners who were given prizes worth over one thousand dollars. The top eight entries are below. I hope these tributes inspire you to […]
Leaders know. Those who hire business coaches know. Big Brothers and Sisters know. They know our lives are influenced by other people and we can speed being and doing our best when we choose resilient and healthy role models. Yet, many of us give little thought to the idea of having role models. There is […]
Just as water is home to fish, our conversations are the context or home to our relationships. Sharing and listening are keys to making relationships work. Good communication that creates mutual understanding is even better. Effectively Speak Let us begin with speaking with honesty, kindness, authenticity, and sometimes assertiveness. You have control over the words you choose. […]
One of the most effective ways to create a healthy mindset is to weed whack your negative self-talk. You know, that head chatter that probably led to a nasty core belief or two. Tackling basic beliefs about ourselves is a daunting task but well worth the effort. Here is a piece of my story. One day while […]
She bent down and tied up her 9-year-old’s shoe strings. Remarkably, the little guy is a bright, and potentially capable, boy. Millennials (those born between the mid-1990s to early 2000s) are often times called The Me Me Me Generation. They tend to be over-protected from challenge, consequences, and tears. As the family researcher, Jean Illsley […]
While happiness is a desirable emotional state, compassion and empathy are developed through opportunities to feel disappointment, sorrow and pain. Parents weaken their children’s resilience when they protect them from experiencing the uncomfortable consequences of life’s hard bits. Consequently, I invited parents to resign from believing or attempting to make happy children. I am not […]