Did you ever wonder why a particular conversation between you and your partner developed into a surprisingly heated argument? You may have the thought, “Wow! Your reaction seems out of all proportion! All I said was …” If you made the mistake of saying the previous sentences aloud, you’ve seen how they can further inflame […]

As you might imagine it is easier to save a marriage that is still intact than one in which the process of separation has begun. That being said, there are ways to save a marriage even after you are living apart. First, you must have a sincere and strong desire to reconcile and most importantly, […]

Years ago, I read somewhere that relationships are forever, that they may appear to end but they really don’t.  At the time, I immediately dismissed the idea  as nonsense citing many cases where people I once knew were out of my life completely. Now I think there is some truth to that statement and I […]

One of the most valuable things you can do for your relationship is to work on yourself. This may seem counter-intuitive since our mate will often appear to be the one who needs work. (It’s not me, its him/her!) Respond rather than react As it turns out, it’s actually easier to change ourselves than it […]

One of the hardest things for us to do as leaders, spouses, or parents is to accept ourselves exactly the way we are and accepting our situation exactly the way it is. We are, as a society, very oriented toward self-improvement. In many ways this is a good thing. It’s natural for us to want […]

    I’ve often heard people say that falling in love isn’t real love and that all the feelings and perceptions that accompany romantic love aren’t real either. It’s true, falling in love is something that just seems to happen to you. You get swept up in a kind of infatuation that you have no […]

My dad, who will be 95 this summer, was the 9th of 10 children growing up and living through the great depression in Hampton, Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia for both College and Medical School before being shipped off to Okinawa during World War II. After the war, he settled in Baltimore where […]

The holidays bring with them the potential for considerable stress and anxiety. Most folks can’t help but have hopes and expectations and if these aren’t met, upset feelings are right around the corner. Unmet expectations and thwarted intentions (the major causes of upsets) occur more frequently around family gatherings. So how can we be with […]

Step 1 – Stop Talking About Your Problems Welcome to 7 Steps to a Better Relationship video series. I look forward to presenting these to you. I will support you in any way I can in having the relationship you’ve always wanted. With practice you can turn these suggestions into graceful habits in your life. […]

One of the hardest things for us to do as leaders, spouses, or parents is to accept ourselves exactly the way we are and accepting our situation exactly the way it is. We are, as a society, very oriented toward self-improvement.  In many ways this is a good thing.  It’s natural for us to want […]