Relationships go smoothly when everyone wants the same things. But how common is that? If little comments and adjustments resolve the problem, great. If not, we need to learn how to combine empathy for the other person with clear, skillful assertions of our own views...
What would bear lots of fruit? The Practice: Water your fruit tree. Why? My wife and kids tease me that the title of this practice is corny - and it is. Still, I like it. If you don't nourish the things that nourish you, they wither away like a...
Think about a significant relationship. It could be with a mate, child, sibling, parent, friend, or co-worker. If you’ve felt let down, irritated, or hurt, have you been able to talk about it? If you appreciate or love this person, have you expressed it? If...
Today we have a special episode for you concluding the strength of Intimacy. This episode is taken from my online Foundations of Well-Being program, and focuses on a key component of Intimacy that we alluded to during our previous episode on Unilateral Virtue: dealing with...
Are you all over the place? The Practice: Rest in center. Why? Gravity and entropy are powerful processes in the natural world. Gravity draws things together, toward a center, while entropy scatters them into disorder. In much the same way, in our own lives, some things bring us...
How do you love? The Practice: Love freely. Why? In my early 20's, I went through Rolfing, a form of deep-tissue bodywork, and I nervously anticipated the 5th session, the one that goes deep into the belly. But instead of gobs of repressed emotional pain, what poured out was...
Whether at home or at work, it’s easy to spend more time dwelling on the faults of others than reflecting on the room for improvement in oneself. But waiting for others to change first creates deadlocks, vicious cycles, and a sense of helplessness. The alternative is...
Out of balance? The Practice: Enjoy sobriety. Why? By "sobriety," I mean healthy self-control, a centered enjoyment of life, and an inner freedom from drivenness. We typically apply this sense of balance and self-care to things like food, drugs and alcohol, sexuality, money, and risky behaviors. And if...
