Each one of us deep inside wants to feel good about who we are. Simply put we want to accept, respect and love ourselves and have people in our lives who appreciate us just for who we are.
One of my friends had been struggling for years with being overweight. It bothered her greatly. She wanted [...]
You are excited. You finally took the big step to pursue what you have been wanting to do for a long time. You are energized and feel yourself evolving in new directions. Although at times you are scared and feel uncertain you stay focused and start having success.
Then comes the clincher. [...]
I was asked the other day if there was one thing I could recommend that would improve relationships. I came up with many little things that would have immediate positive effects. For instance treating the other with kindness, showing appreciation and love, going away for a special weekend etc. Yet, I wanted to give an [...]
When we appreciate and love ourselves we easily find ways to grow our personal energy. Our energy comes from taking good care of our bodies, from challenging our minds, and from our relationships.
Learning to accept and love ourselves is vital for our self esteem. Yet many of us were raised with messages that to love [...]
My passion is helping people build relationships that they enjoy. I think that there are too many people who do not understand that healthy marital relationships require a constant balancing of individual needs with togetherness needs. Both are necessary needs and have to be attended to.
Each person can only take responsibility for their own feelings [...]
Has this happened to you? You are in a good mood and then your partner says something and “puff” your mood changes. This is the relationship effect. It can show up in many different ways but invariably is reflects abdication of control over oneself to someone else.
Let me share an example. Here is the scene. [...]
I love quotes because they succinctly capture truisms. Here is one by Rosalyn Carter that I like “If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can’s accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. In those few words she sums up that the [...]
I am frequently asked “what in the world are boundaries?” This comes from people who have heard that it is important to have boundaries but they have no real understanding as to what that means.
Here is how I like to think about boundaries. Boundaries are the imaginary lines we have drawn around ourselves. They are [...]
When we build a strong personal foundation we believe that we are capable of more. There are usually habits, lack of knowledge, or beliefs we have about our self that hold us back. As we start strengthening these areas we see that our picture of who we are begins to change.
I [...]
One of my mentors, Virginia Satir, taught me something that has been useful to me and everyone else I have shared it with. She said “treat everything that comes at you from the outside as something with which to cope, and not as a way to define yourself.
How often do you hear yourself or others [...]