You were just given some negative feedback, and you’re feeling defensive. Maybe your boss didn’t like a project you submitted, or your spouse criticized the way you’re dressed, or your mother disapprovingly commented on the way you’re raising your children. What do conscious vs unconscious responses look like? This reminds me of Goofus and…
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Last week, I had the honor of being interviewed by Lisa McDonald of the Living Fearlessly podcast. Please, take some time to listen and enjoy our discussion. I hope you’ll find it enlightening and encouraging! You’ll Discover How and why my journey toward living consciously began The key aspect I believe is missing from…
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In my last post, we discussed how to determine whether feedback is warranted. This alone can make a huge difference in improving relationships! So, let’s say you’ve determined that giving feedback in a situation makes sense. How do you deliver it in a kind, loving way? Take ownership of what you’re saying Understand that…
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“Don’t care what anyone thinks about you!” Have you heard advice like that? I have, and I think it is an absurd notion. After all, we are social beings. We are wired to care what others think of us. However, “Care only about what others think about you!” is an equally absurd notion. So,…
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When was the last time you compared yourself to someone else? If you’re like most of us, the answer is probably “a few minutes ago.” Social media is a huge part of our lives right now, and because of this we’re more likely than ever to compare ourselves to others. Our Instagram and Facebook…
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Here’s a phrase I hear frequently: “I can’t afford that.” How often do you say or think this? When I dig a little deeper, I often find that “I can’t afford that” is code for “That’s not a priority.” “I can’t afford that” often isn’t even true. But we believe it because we haven’t…
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When you get into an argument or conflict, do you try to win? Do you think that you are right, and the other person is wrong, and if only you could convince them of that, all would be well? I call this the win-lose mentality, where we want to win and the other person…
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Communication is so much more than what we say. In fact, most of our communication is nonverbal. When interacting with others, we respond to tone, body language, facial expressions, and volume far more than the actual words that are being said. On the other side, our own body language and expressions say far more about what…
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Triggers are a hot topic these days. Maybe you have become aware you experience unpleasant emotions when you’re exposed to certain behaviors, topics, or words. You might notice you get agitated and reactive and tend to blame the other person for this. “You triggered me!” You then might get controlling and want the other…
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Communication might be the single most important skill we can develop to improve our relationships. However, most of us struggle to communicate in a way that helps us be understood by others. This happens for any number of reasons. It helps if we know why we’re communicating. Are we talking without any point or…
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