When Anger Changes What We See Conflict has a way of changing how we see somebody we once cared about, trusted, respected, or loved. In the middle of an argument, one painful moment can suddenly become bigger than years of good memories. We start thinking about everything the other person has done wrong while forgetting
Watering Each Other’s Flowers: Remembering the Whole Person During Conflict Read More »
The Question Behind the Relationship One of the hardest questions in dating is figuring out whether somebody genuinely wants you or simply enjoys what being with you provides. That question becomes even more important when you have money, success, influence, connections, or a naturally generous spirit. If you can provide nice dinners, vacations, gifts, entertainment,
When Someone Wants You and Not Just What You Can Provide Read More »
The Mistake of Expecting Yourself From Other People One of the most expensive lessons I have learned in life was believing that other people had a heart like mine. For years, I moved through life thinking that if I showed up for somebody, they would naturally show up for me. If I protected them, I
When a Good Heart Learns to Keep Its Eyes Open Read More »
When Desire Starts Making the Decisions There comes a time in life when we have to ask ourselves whether we are controlling our desires or whether our desires are controlling us. Sexual attraction is a natural part of being human, and there is nothing wrong with feeling attracted to somebody. The trouble begins when desire
The Higher Standard Is Self-Mastery Read More »
When Knowing Something Is Not Enough There is nothing wrong with knowing something that other people in a conversation may not know. In fact, knowledge becomes more valuable when we are willing to share what we have learned with others. The problem begins when showing what we know becomes more important than the conversation itself.
Learning When and How to Share What You Know Read More »
What the Hardest Seasons Teach Us When you go through one of the toughest seasons of your life and feel like you are facing it alone, something inside you begins to change. Hard times can teach you things that easier days never could. You discover how much pain you can carry without allowing it to
When You Learn You Can Stand on Your Own Read More »
When Emotional Distance Begins to Hurt Being in a relationship with someone who seems emotionally unavailable can leave you feeling lonely even when that person is sitting right beside you. You can love somebody deeply and still feel like there is a wall between the two of you that you cannot quite get through. The
Finding Your Voice in an Emotionally Distant Relationship Read More »
The First Lessons We Learn About Love Long before most of us are old enough to date, we have already started learning what love and relationships are supposed to feel like. Our first teachers are usually the parents, grandparents, siblings, relatives, and other adults who surround us while we are growing up. We watch how
When Dysfunction Feels Like Home: Learning What Healthy Love Really Looks Like Read More »
Character Is More Than Personality One thing military experience can teach you is that personality and character are two different things, even though we sometimes mistake one for the other. Personality is usually what walks through the door first. Somebody can be funny, charming, confident, intelligent, attractive, friendly, and know exactly how to work a
How Character Reveals Itself: What the Military Can Teach Us About Reading People Read More »
The First Truth About Boundaries One of the first truths a man eventually learns is that life becomes unnecessarily difficult when he has no clear boundaries. If he answers every call, accepts every demand, tolerates every tone, and changes every rule whenever somebody gets upset, people may start believing his limits do not really matter.
Boundaries Teach People How to Treat You Read More »