The most valuable thing a person can have is a true, lifelong friend. Following the Golden Rule is the most effective way to maintain friendships: treat them the way you want to be treated. It Takes Effort Very often, good friendships just happen when people make a connection, not unlike true romance, but with a…
Here’s How Infants Learn From Facial Expressions
Faces and facial expressions have a special power over us as human beings. While friendly faces make us feel warm and fuzzy, those of our opponents evoke fear or even anger. So, when do we as kids learn to recognize faces and facial expressions? And what lessons can be learned by parents whose facial signals…
The #1 Most Important Relationship Skill
I received an outpouring of feedback on my recent blog, “What We Really Want and Almost Never Get,” about the profound importance of listening in relationships. The comments confirm that what men and women alike most desire in our relationships is to be heard without judgment and understood where we are. So many have poignantly…
Love and Flowers for All Seasons
I dearly love roses. During the first several years of our marriage, my thoughtful husband, Kevin, often brought them to me or had them delivered to the bank where I worked. After buying a home in the country on two acres of land, Kevin wanted me to have a steady supply, so he started a…
7 Habits Saving My Life Right Now
If you search the internet for “best habits to do”, I’ll bet there are hundreds of meaningful ones that will benefit your life. But no one has the time and space for that many routines, even if your motivation is high. Deciding once what is best for you personally is what will bring the most inner simplicity and effectiveness to…
Date Night Can Be Inexpensive and Fun
Dear Dave, We’re trying to get control of our finances by living on a budget. We also have about $18,000 in debt we’re trying to pay off. My husband brings home $3,400 a month, and I am currently taking care of our 8-month-old baby. We would like to have a date night once a month,…
You Have Permission to Like Yourself
Is there someone in your life who frequently critiques you, and often points out what you’re doing or have done wrong, and how you should improve? Is there someone close to you who gives you the feeling that maybe they don’t quite like you as you are? We all know people who seem to know…
Making Friends as an Adult
“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” So sang Three Dog Night in 1969 in their hit song “One.” Six years later, a best-selling item for a while was the “pet rock,” a stone taken home and treated like a pet. Yes, that’s right, people actually bought rocks and either kept them for…
Harmonious Relationships Without a Shared Reality
James and Anna came to see me because of a big fight they were embroiled in. The issue was money, which I learned was something they had been arguing about for years, with no resolution. They had vastly different ideas and values around money, different narratives on its importance and meaning, and what it represented….
To Cut Your Dementia Risk, Grow Old With an Optimist?
Optimistic people may contribute to the health of their partners, research finds. The study, with 4,500 heterosexual couples, indicates that having an optimistic partner may stave off the risk factors leading to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline as you grow old together. “We spend a lot of time with our partners,” says William Chopik,…
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