Honor Your Partner’s Feelings As If They Are Your Own
I want to focus on an essential relationship behavior that you will want to practice, become good at and use frequently with your Honey: …Honor and respect your partner’s feelings as if they are your...
View ArticleThe Dating Game
I received an email from a fellow who asked about the “game of dating.” He had just gone on a “successful” date (he likes her and he believes she likes him) and he wanted to know what I thought about...
View ArticleDeclare June Marriage Renewal Month
“Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the...
View ArticleOh no! Not the Big Wedding ~ Unless You Get Basic Marriage Education First
Wedding season is now in full swing! Newlyweds throughout the world spend more time, energy and money on their weddings than on building their relationships and divorce-proofing their marriages!...
View ArticleMaking and Keeping Agreements and Commitments
Making and keeping agreements and commitments is a fundamental ingredient of any relationship. It is one of the cornerstones of a committed love relationship. It is vital that partners know in the...
View ArticleWhat Are Boundaries and How Do they Work?
If your life is filled with more of what you don’t want and not enough of what you do want, it’s time to set your boundaries. Boundaries define a person’s sense of self (i.e., who he or she is as an...
View ArticleWhy Are Boundaries Important?
If your life is filled with discord and you don’t feel that others respect you, it’s time to set your boundaries. Each of us experiences our reality in four ways: Body – what we look like Thinking –...
View ArticleHow Do You Set Boundaries?
Let me say first, setting boundaries is not disrespectful, bad or wrong. In fact, emotionally healthy people set personal boundaries. Educate people in your life about your boundaries. Calmly and...
View ArticleUnderstanding and Resolving Conflict
Conflict is inevitable and a normal part of life. Healthy conflict can lead to positive changes in personal relationships. Negative conflict can be very destructive and can sap energy from everyone...
View ArticleAll’s Fair in Love and Finances
Mature men and women who are dating have many questions about money and issues related to money management. The most frequent question I am asked by men is how to avoid always picking up the tab. Women...
View ArticleWhy Argue? Keeping the Lines of Communication Open
A minor disagreement can get out of hand very quickly or a simple conversation can suddenly turn into a shouting match. Why? Because your fear of being abandoned, or disappointing your partner makes...
View ArticleCommitment: What Are You Committing and To Whom?
Do you make commitments? If so, to whom do you make commitments? What do you make commitments about? What does making a commitment mean to you? Do you honor the commitments you make? Do you expect...
View ArticleChoose Your Partner As If You Only Get One Chance
One of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “How do I choose the right partner and build a healthy, loving and lasting relationship?” Most couples find themselves without personal experience...
View ArticleSettling, Compromising & Negotiating: What Are the Differences?
Too often we think we have successfully compromised or negotiated an issue with a loved one when, in fact, we have actually given up, given in or settled. Where do these actions come from, and how do...
View ArticleA Few Thoughts about the Value of Communicating Well
Why is communication important in a relationship? Is it the most important part of a relationship? First let’s agree that when we use the word communication we are referring to verbal and non-verbal...
View ArticleCommitted Couples: Keep That Spark Alive!
If you are in the majority of contemporary committed couples, I’ll bet, if you thought about it for a moment, you would discover that you spend more time each week watching television or commuting to...
View ArticleJust Dating—Holiday Do’s and Don’ts
The holidays can be a confusing time for those who are “just” dating. There are so many considerations and questions that arise. I believe that some issues in our lives come up over and over and that...
View ArticleDanny & Annie—May They Stir Your Heart
A colleague of mine sent this heartwarming video to me some time ago. It is fitting that, at the end of the year, we take stock of who we have been and how we have attended to the people and events in...
View ArticleAre New Year’s Resolutions a Set-up for Failure?
How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Are you successfully achieving your goals? Or have you failed already? If you are in the minuscule percentage of people who are successfully achieving your...
View ArticleRepairing Hurt Feelings & Shaken Trust
There may be occasions during your relationship when you hurt your partner’s feelings or she or he hurts your feelings. There may be those rare times that your beloved does or says something that...
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