Category
Communication
We say fewer stupid things when we say less! That seems obvious, yet how many of us put it into practice? For some of us, especially extroverts, there’s so much we want and feel we need to say, it’s hard… Continue Reading →
“What are these people’s stories? How did they end up here?”, I wondered, when I first met some of the residents at a homeless shelter a group of us volunteered at for a week. Some of them fit the stereotype—“grungy”,… Continue Reading →
Have you ever met someone that “comes on too strong”? We can interpret “strong” in many ways—aggressive, opinionated, overbearing, talkative, friendly, enthusiastic, etc. While some of these are obviously negative, some traits can be positive, such as friendly and engaging…. Continue Reading →
People are often surprised by encouragement. Why? 1) Low self-esteem—they don’t believe they deserve encouragement. In their minds/hearts, they’re not good enough. Or what they did wasn’t good enough. Or what they plan on trying to do won’t be good… Continue Reading →
“’Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’” (Luke 3:11) Moms like to muse. Especially as we’re getting older and missing those younger days when our children were… Continue Reading →
Late last year I learned something about myself that I didn’t realize before—I really don’t like to need or accept help! And here, all these years, I thought I was one of those “hopelessly/happily dependent females” – the kind that… Continue Reading →
In Part 1, we looked at the dangers of counterproductive thought patterns, and how such “stinking thinking” results in terrible feeling, behavior, and relational breakdown. We investigated the first two major categories of this– mindreading and mind-feeding—then how to recognize… Continue Reading →
Have you ever found yourself spiraling down, down, down, into depression, discouragement, and despair? When that happens, the source is always counterproductive (usually negative) thought patterns, aka “stinking thinking”! But don’t despair over despair! What gets us down can also… Continue Reading →
Last week a good friend, D., came over, who happens to be an opera-singer quality soprano that has blessed many, including me, with her God-given vocal talent My husband, a wonderful, sweet, tenor, came home from work while my friend… Continue Reading →
How many times has this scenario happened to you– You have a disagreement with someone you care about– Emotions rise, voices raise with them, anger boils over, both of you get hurt, and one or both of you marches away… Continue Reading →
How many times have you felt like saying, or actually said, “How many times have I told you…?!”? You wish people would listen and really get it the first time. A second time can be ok, considering all the stuff… Continue Reading →
We’ve all known someone who feels they’ve been placed on this planet to dominate others. We see them in pre-school, telling other kids who can have what toy. Later, they end up as someone’s lab partner in high-school chemistry… Continue Reading →
In a world where many believe that graciousness is too “soft” for leaders, I’m here to tell you the opposite— Gracious leaders are loved leaders. Loved leaders are FOLLOWED leaders. If no one is following, we’re not leading. Sure, we… Continue Reading →
Good leaders are able to mobilize their team to get the jobs done. Great leaders do that while creating an environment of psychological safety and trust. Without this, no one will take the risk of speaking up. If no one… Continue Reading →
It’s so easy for our own selfishness and pride to get in the way of someone else’s selfishness and pride, and when they cross, it produces friction. Especially when both refuse to budge. In relational “science”, we could call this… Continue Reading →
