With as many communication options as you have now, you’d think connecting with others would be easier than ever. Texting, cell phones, MySpace and more. It’s not like most of the interactions that take place through these portals are brilliant. Sometimes, you just want contact with another human being. Relationships are complicated. Whether you are […]
You’ll never stop loving your kid, no matter what, but it may be time to stop parenting.This world can be tough. Whether your kid is eighteen and joining the army to fight the bad guys or twenty-eight and unable to find a career, you still love him. Even when you don’t like what he’s doing […]
You and your significant other had a huge fight and the two of you are hardly talking. Maybe he left and spent the night elsewhere; maybe you’ve been apart for several days or weeks. It may look like there’s large black cloud over the future and you two have issues you’re not sure how to […]
Delaying a relationship commitment until you’re sure? You might want to rethink this. Rushing into living with the person you’re dating or marrying quickly can be a mistake, but the opposite can be true, too. Dating the same person for years with no real commitment smacks of unaddressed, unresolved issues or plain, old, knee-knocking fear. […]
Yes, you’ve done some stupid things. You’ve even been vindictive and mean-spirited. Sometimes, you get really, really angry, and you may strike out at those who’ve hurt you. None of this makes you a bad person. It makes you human. Badness is a choice that becomes ingrained over multiple actions. You have to work at […]
When life is complicated and challenging, it’s natural to want someone to rely on. Someone to believe in. Someone who can make things better. You want someone to save us from the bad, scary things, but you need to be careful. Focusing on heroes can sometimes keep us on-lookers in life, rather than participants. During […]
Forgiving an offense or a breach of relationship can be healing to the victim, but rushing into forgiveness doesn’t make the hurt go away. It just goes underground and you still struggle to move forward with your life. Hatred and rage damage the person harboring those feelings. Going forward from that experience is important, but […]
When your kids, your mate or your relatives are making really bad choices, the most difficult thing to do is believe they can straighten themselves out. It is typical to want to tell them a few realities. You might have a powerful urge to straighten them out yourself. Resist. Messing up and making bad choices […]
Rage is ugly, but maybe the problem isn’t your anger. Emotion is a vital part of being human. You need to feel happiness, sadness, anxiety and, even, anger—emotion is part of the weather system of our inner worlds. If you punch holes in walls, though, or scare your significant other when you’re mad, anger can […]
Loving another person can be the hardest challenge in your life, particularly when the one you love—a mate, a child, or a friend—is making difficult choices. When these choices are positive in that person’s life, you cheer. When the choices are destructive, though, you can have a range of emotions that threaten to tear you […]