Posts under ‘Action steps’

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”~ Carl W. Buechner
People are inspired by emotion. When we are able to feel something we are motivated. It doesn’t matter what the feeling is, in order to make a connection with another person there must be emotions involved.
It is easy [...]

Fear and negativity are fed by false and negative beliefs about the motives of other people. As a result of these limiting and fearful beliefs, many people use flawed definitions of relationships, such as “Relationships are hard work” and “Relationships are 50/50,” to justify isolation and loneliness. If we see other people as enemies who [...]

It is important to identify the fears stopping you from accomplishing your goals of falling in love with your life and building intimate relationships with others. Having a desire to change is essential to this process. It is also important to be aware of the feelings attached to these detrimental fears. For example, I know [...]

Yep, now is the time. Tons of resolutions will be made (and broken). Commitments galore! Many human beings seem to have an insatiable appetite for self-flagellation. Don’t be that guy (or girl). Here is a simple way to make some commitments and stick to them. Follow these steps and succeed! You will feel good about [...]

The truth hurts sometimes. From time to time, we all become aware of a painful or scary fact. For example, hearing a diagnosis for an illness or being told you have been laid off from a job are not pleasurable experiences. However, ignorance is not necessarily bliss.
When you choose conscious awareness, you are empowered to [...]

Parents want their kids to change but many of these same kids think their parents are idiots. Managers demand improved performance from their employees while the employees want their bosses to stop micro-managing. Business owners work tirelessly to build trust as some customers take advantage of the philosophy of “always being right.” Relationships can definitely [...]

It is all too common to experience bouts of inadequacy during the holidays. Most of us have experienced plenty of days when everything seems a bit difficult and no one seems to notice, or care, that we are struggling. Worse yet, we allow these feelings to be magnified this time of year when we believe [...]

“Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.”
The transformation of your life is constant. There may be times when this is more dramatically evident, but the process is ongoing. As a self-aware creature you are given multitudes of opportunity to [...]

There is a video version at the bottom if you prefer. The approximate video time is about 2 minutes. Enjoy!
A few months ago my wife and daughter decided they wanted chickens. They had just come home from visiting some friends of ours, who happen to own some fowl,  and were inspired. Far be it from [...]

The following post is taken from my upcoming book: Connected: The Art of Building Relationships. Connected is the updated edition of Relationships for the Intimately Challenged.
A grandiose ego is a common defense mechanism used to mask fear. When someone is insecure and has a fundamental fear around people, an easy way to keep others at [...]